What If I Was Nothing
by scarlett2112
Summary: Having disappeared without a trace as a young boy, Damon is miraculously returned to the Salvatore's a decade later. Not knowing how to cope with everything that has happened, Damon struggles to find his place with a family he no longer knows. Next door neighbor, Elena Gilbert wants to help but will he let her?
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome to my new story. This will be 'M' rated but it'll be some time before those scenes happen. I have to thank my dear friends Eva for all of her help. Give her a round of applause, she really goes the extra mile helping me with my stories. I inundate her with revision after revision and she happily puts up with me.. And Kate for the beautiful cover art that she gifted me with again. I love both of you. I only have the epilogue left to write so I feel safe giving you the first chapter. Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride. I own nothing but the original characters that you will meet._

* * *

Taking Michael by the hand, we very cautiously sneak out of the house. He's just a little boy. What kind of a person would I be if I allowed my fate to fall upon him too?

"Where are you taking me?" he asks, his voice fearful.

Pressing my fingers to my lips, I signal for him to be quiet till we're a safe distance away from the house. Once we're a couple of blocks away, I take a moment to look around.

"Hello Danny," I startle when I hear Mr. Evans greet me. He's one of the few people that I know since I'm rarely let outside of our house. "Who do you have here?" he asks looking at Michael curiously.

"His parents are friends of my parents. I'm babysitting," I tell him, hoping my lie is believable. Seemingly satisfied, he says goodbye then walks away. Exhaling a breath, I take his hand again not letting go until we reach the police station. I'm afraid. Fear is erupting in every cell in my body causing chill bumps to break out on my skin. I do know I can't back out though. I close my eyes and inhale deeply in an attempt to fortify my courage. Biting my lower lip, I squeeze Michael's hand gently. After giving him a long stare, I walk one step at a time, Michael in tow, till we reach the double doors. Once more I take in a deep shuddering breath. Pursing my lips, I finally push the door open gesturing for him to step inside as I follow right behind. When I look around there are Poinsettia plants and holiday decorations adorning the police station. I can almost smell the evergreen trees if I try hard enough. My mind vaguely remembers a time and a place of a long time ago. It was always so exciting to go into the woods with my real dad to chop down our family Christmas tree.

Slowly we walk up to the desk. "Um, I need to talk to someone," I tell the lady officer, my voice shaky.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asks, her voice kind.

"Uh... I don't know. It's about a kidnapping," I whisper. Her eyes widen a moment then she tells Michael and me to take a seat. I watch as she picks up the desk phone, eyeing me while she's talking. Before long, a man in a suit walks over to us.

"I'm Detective Williams. I'm told you have a crime to report?"

"Yes," I whisper, staring into his eyes.

Gesturing for us to follow, I get up, taking Michael's hand and we walk behind him. He motions for us to take a seat then pushes his office door closed. "Do you want something to drink?" he asks, trying to make us relax a little bit.

Shaking my head no, "I just don't want him to go through what I've been through."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Danny. This is Michael."

"Well Danny, why don't you tell me what brought you here today?" he says, looking genuinely sympathetic.

"My dad brought Michael into our house a couple of weeks ago. I don't know where he took him from but he took him."

"What do you mean your dad took him?"

"My mom, she's not right. It's almost Christmas. I heard them talking when they thought I was asleep. She.. she wanted another child. Um they can't have any so dad took him," I say, my voice shaky and fearful sounding even to my own ears. Turning to look at Michael, I urge him to tell the officer what my dad did to him.

"I was at the playground. I went to the bathroom and the man took me. He put his hands over my mouth so I couldn't scream," he says, clutching my hand, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Stay here a moment, I'm going to go to see if we have any missing persons reports on you Michael. Please stay here and wait for me." As the minutes pass, I keep looking at the clock only to see that the hands have barely moved. I feel jumpy and on edge. Unable to calm the butterflies churning in my stomach, I bite my lip wondering what I'll do if they don't believe me. My foot is pounding a steady cadence against the linoleum floor as we wait for the officer to come back. Michael looks scared so I reach over to him with one of my clammy hands trying to ease his fears a little bit although my own are in the stratosphere right now. When I hear Christmas music begin to play over the office sound system, I close my eyes, just listening and hoping it'll soothe my frayed nerves. Maybe twenty minutes pass before Detective Williams steps back into his office clutching a piece of paper while another cop follows in behind him.

"Michael, I made a call to the police station in your home town. They will contact your parents and bring them here. This lady is Officer Jefferson. She's going to take you to another room so I can talk to your friend here," he says, his eyes on me. Once Michael and the lady police officer step out of the room, Detective Williams turns to me.

"Danny you said you didn't want what happened to you to happen to him. Were you kidnapped too?" Grasping the arms of the chair, I look from side to side as fear invades my body anew. "You don't have to be afraid. We're here to help you," he tells me, his voice sincere.

"It took incredible courage for you to bring Michael here. Imagine how his parents are going to feel when they get to hold him in their arms again? What about your parents, Danny? Don't you think they deserve to know you're still alive?" he asks me, taking the seat that Michael held.

"Yes," I whisper, unable to make eye contact. When he reaches over and places his hand atop my forearm, I lift my eyes to stare at him for a long moment. Taking a deep breath, I turn to stare straight ahead of me. "I know my first name is Damon."

* * *

 _I hope you're intrigued enough to review and give me some feedback. 'Nothing Else Matters' and 'Shatter Me' will update tomorrow. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend._


	2. Somewhere I Belong

_"I know my first name is Damon.."_

"Damon? Do you have any idea what your last name was?" he asks me gently.

"No. I don't remember much about my family. He took me when I was around six. I.. I don't remember exactly, " I tell him, my eyes welling with moisture.

He squeezes my arm again. "It's okay son. Somehow we'll find out where your real parents are. Do you remember anything about your life before?"

"I had a little brother. His name was Stefan. I don't remember anymore," I utter in frustration while at the same time I feel the familiar burn in my eyes. I turn away from him for a moment so I can collect myself.

"Damon, I want you to think really hard. Can you tell me anything about the day you were taken from your real family?"

 _"Come on Damon. Let's take Stefan for a walk. We'll go to the park so you can play for awhile," my mother tells me. Once she helps me zip up my jacket, she puts Stefan in the stroller. "Are you ready to go, Damon?"_

 _"Yes mommy. I'm ready. Can we go over to that park that has the fort?"_

 _"Sure baby. You like that one don't you?"_

 _"It's so much fun playing on the fort. I love climbing on that rope ladder too. Do you think Stefan will play with me when he's old enough?"_

 _"He'll love to play with you when he's bigger. Let's go now," she says, opening the door. I walk beside her as she pushes the stroller down the sidewalk. Soon enough we arrive at the park. I run over to the swings, jumping on._

 _"Push me, mommy," I beg. She's smiling as she walks over to me. She sets Stefan's stroller to the side of the swing set and starts pushing me. "Wee mommy, I'm way up high," I squeal, excitedly._

Dropping my head into my hands, I try to remember that day. Turning my head to the side, I make eye contact with Detective Williams again. "What if my real parents don't want me anymore? I've been with the Parkers for almost as long as I can remember," I ask, my voice crackling with fear. Again, I see nothing but empathy in his eyes.

"Danny, I mean Damon, I don't know who your real parents are but there is no doubt in my mind that they'll be overjoyed to know that you're alive."

Turning away, I try to discreetly wipe the tears that are beginning to form in the corners of my eyes. "I wish I remembered. I don't even know my parents real names. All I know is that I'm Damon," I tell him, unable to keep my tears at bay any longer. After Detective Williams gives me a few moments to compose myself, he asks again what I remember about that day.

 _"Mommy, I have to go potty," I announce, holding myself._

 _"Okay sweetie, come on," she says to me, smiling. She pushes Stefan's stroller with one hand while holding onto my hand with the other. We walk into the lady's room hand in hand, she directs me into a stall. When I get done, I go to wash my hands. "Mommy?" I call._

 _"We'll be right out Damon. Wait for mommy."_

Unable to hold back, I look up at the detective. "It's my own fault. I didn't wait for her. I walked out of the bathroom to hide. You know hide and seek? I don't remember much after that. The next thing I knew I was in a stranger's car with the lady telling me she was my new momma."

"Why didn't you come to us sooner?" he asks me pointedly.

"I don't know. They told me that my real parents didn't want me anymore. They're all I've known for the last however many years."

"I understand Damon. You need to tell me who they are. Kidnapping is a federal offense. With you and Michael gone, what's to stop them from taking some other poor child, bringing devastation to another family?"

"I know," I whisper, turning away. I almost start to hyperventilate when he continues to press me to tell them who my 'parents' are. I'm sixteen years old, I shouldn't be crying but no matter how abusive they were to me sometimes, they're still my parents.

"Damon, please?" he coerces gently.

Sucking in a deep shuddering breath, I turn my bloodshot eyes to his, whispering, "Kai and Jo Parker. They're the ones who took me."

"Thank you Damon. I promise you that I won't rest until I find your real family. Will you stay here till I get back?"

Emotionally laid bare, I just nod. After watching him walk out of his office, I stand up because I just can't sit still anymore. Inhaling sharply, I start to pace in his office, luckily it's big enough to afford me the ability to do so. Again, I'm left to watch the minutes tick by as I wait for Detective Williams to come back. Dropping back down into a chair, I shudder to think what my future will be now.

Does my family still live in the same town? I mean, what if they moved away? What if the police never find them? Are they even still alive? Tightening my lips, I shake my head back and forth. Will they even want me back? Maybe they had more kids, ones that were meant to replace me? I don't know, my mind is a chaotic shamble, imagining all sorts of scenarios with them not wanting me anymore.

 _I'm standing at the door waiting for someone to answer. I take a deep breath when I see her standing there. Her expression hardened. "Mom?"_

 _"Who are you? I'm not your mother," she sneers at me._

 _"It's me Damon," I tell her, tears leaking from my eyes, my voice barely a whisper._

 _"Damon? You can't be Damon. He disappeared ten years ago. Our Damon died. We moved on from him a long time ago," she says callously then slams the door in my face._

"Damon?" I startle when I feel Detective Williams's hand on my shoulder.

"I don't know why I came here today. They probably think I'm dead. What if they don't want me to open up all their old wounds?" I mutter, turning away from him and feeling sorry for myself.

"Damon, you know why you came here today. It doesn't take an Einstein to see that your life with the Parker's wasn't all sunshine and roses. If it had been, I don't believe you would've been so adamant about saving Michael. You're a hero to that boy. He's always going to be grateful that it was your home that he was taken to. Another ready made brother might not have been so courageous. Thank you for saving him Damon. I sincerely wish there would've been someone who could've saved you," he tells me, squeezing my knee.

After staring at him for a few seconds, I nod then turn away. "How are you going to find my family? I don't remember my last name."

"How old are you now?"

"Sixteen."

"We're going to go through the missing children reports from a decade ago. We can computer age your six year old self to see if it matches the young man I'm staring at right now. I promise you that we'll find your family. The memories you do have of them, are they happy ones?"

Once again turning to face him, "Yes."

"It's late, Damon. Come on, you're going to come home with me tonight. I don't want you to have to go to foster care. I know you're sixteen but you're not legally an adult yet. Tomorrow, I'll bring you back here. We'll roll up our sleeves and we'll find your parents. You have my word."

"Okay," I reply, standing up. "Um.. can I say goodbye to Michael?"

"Absolutely Damon. Come," he says gesturing for me to follow. He leads me into another office. After knocking on the door the two of us walk in.

"Danny?" Michael yells then runs to me, wrapping his little arms around my waist.

I give him a hug back then stoop down to his level. "Hey buddy. I wanted to say goodbye. Detective Williams said your parents will be here soon to take you home. But guess what? He's going to help me to find my real mom and dad too."

"You have a real mom and dad?"

"I do."

"Thank you for helping me, Danny."

"My real name is Damon," I tell him, forcing a smile on my face. "What kind of guy would I be if I hadn't?"

"Danny, I mean Damon, do you think we can see each other again sometime?" he asks with all the naivety of a child his age.

Pulling him in for a hug, I whisper next to his ear, "I hope so Michael. I really do." After releasing him, I stand up. "I have to go now. Goodbye Michael," I tell say to him as Detective Williams leads me out of the door. My eyes never leave his as the door closes behind us.

* * *

Detective Williams:

"Mr. Parker, in what town and in what state did you kidnap Damon from? You're in a lot of trouble. Kidnapping is a federal offense as you're well aware. You can help reunite him with his real family."

"My wife and I are his real family," he says defiantly.

"I'm going to ask you again. Where is Damon from? If you care about him as you claim, you'll help us reunite him with his family."

"His name is Danny. I don't know any Damon's," he replies angrily.

Standing up, I realize it's hopeless trying to get any information out of him. "Alright Mr. Parker. Since you have no desire to be helpful, perhaps you wife will be more cooperative."

"You keep my wife out of this."

"Your wife is being interrogated as we speak. She's a party to this crime too. The two of you will be going to jail for a good long time."

"I want to speak to a lawyer," he says, the bluster leaving his voice.

Nodding, I knock on the door. When the officer on the other side opens it up, I take one more look at Mr. Parker, shake my head in disgust then walk out of the room.

* * *

"So Rob, was Mrs. Parker anymore cooperative than Mr. Parker?" I ask when Detective James steps into my office.

"She claims not to know anything. Her story is that Damon is her child, that he was born to her."

Shaking my head in frustration, "We both know that isn't true."

"Nothing out of Mr. Parker?"

"No, he wasn't talking. He's meeting with an attorney right now. Hopefully he'll get him to cooperate. I mean, I promised this kid I'd find his family for him," I utter in frustration.

"Where is he?"

"I took him home with me last night because I didn't want him to have to go to foster care. He's incredibly traumatized and I just felt he didn't need all that hustle and bustle. He's used to being alone. I just don't want him to take off you know."

Rob nods, taking a seat.

"Unless we find his family, he's all alone in the world now. I feel bad for the kid. It was incredibly courageous for him to come to us. I don't want to let him down."

"We'll find them...," he starts to say when we hear a knock on the door.

"Come in," I say aloud. "Hi Mac. What are you doing here?"

"I was assigned to Mr. Parker. He's ready to talk."

"Just how did you manage that?"

"I told him that unless he cooperates, he may spend the rest of his natural life in prison."

Standing up, I extend my hand to shake it. "Thank you, Mac. I really want to find the kid's family."

"Let's go talk to him then," Mac says, gesturing for me to follow.

* * *

Damon:

I find myself sitting in Detective William's car as we're driving down the highway. Unable to hold still, my foot is thrumming against the carpeted floor. Butterflies are fluttering all over my gut and my clammy hands are knotted and twisting together.

"Damon, it's going to be okay. As I told you, I've already talked to them. As expected, they were shocked to know that you're still alive. Your brother is now fourteen and you also have a younger sister."

"A sister?"

He pats my knee, turning at me to smile quickly before turning his attention back to the highway. "Yes, a sister. Her name is Caroline. She's five."

"Wow," I exhale.

"They're so excited to see you again," he says, trying to reassure me.

"I'm scared Chris, you know. I've been trying to remember my mom's voice and I can't," I utter softly, closing my eyes tightly as I try to keep the tears at bay.

"I know you are. You have my phone number. Feel free to call me anytime and for anything Damon. Even if you just need to vent. I'm sure you know that there will be ups and downs. They are your family and they love you. Please just give them a chance."

Exhaling sharply, I turn to look at him again. "I will and thanks Chris. I appreciate everything that you've done for me..." I utter my voice trailing as he points to a house. "That's my house?"

"Yes," he says, pulling into the driveway.

Although I feel near panic, I close my eyes and take a deep shuddering breath.

"You can do this Damon."

Nodding, I unbuckle my seatbelt and the two of us step out of the car. After giving Chris a long stare, he gestures for me to follow as we walk slowly towards the front door...

* * *

 _Can you imagine how scared Damon must be?_

 _It was a hell busy night at work. I thought I'd give you another chapter. I will update this once more this weekend then it'll settle into a weekly update schedule like my other two stories. Thank you Eva for all your encouragement and advice. Thank you, all of you for your interest in the story. I'm thrilled with the reception so far. It is completely written now and it's a long story. Much more to come. I have to be at the hospital again by 7pm so I'm going to bed now. My eyelids are getting really, really heavvvvvy. Have a wonderful day and please do hit that review button..._


	3. You Don't Know What It's Like

_After giving Chris a long stare, he gestures for me to follow as we walk slowly towards the front door._

It feels as if I'm in a slow motion movie as I haltingly raise my hand to the doorbell. I can't quite summon the strength to push it.

"Go ahead, Damon. It's going to be alright."

Nodding, I close my eyes and push. My nerves are alight and I almost feel like a caged animal, trying to find any escape route. I'm almost to the point of hyperventilating when I feel Chris as he places his hand on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I turn to look at him with my terror filled eyes when suddenly the door pulls open. My mouth drops open when I see the woman standing before me.

"Damon?" she whispers in shock as she pulls me into her arms, her tears falling immediately. "Is it really you? Oh my gosh, you're all grown up! Everyday I prayed for this day to come," she says softly, continuing to hold me tight against her frame.

"Mom?"

"Yes, yes, Damon. It's me," she blubbers, still holding me close to her bosom.

"Millie, is that them?" I hear coming from inside the house.

"Yes, it's him, he's home...," she blurts out, finally letting me go. Grabbing onto my hand, she pulls me into the house before turning to Chris. "Please come in Detective Williams. Thank you for bringing our son home. Joe and I, we'll never be able to thank you sufficiently enough," she weeps, hot tears pouring from her eyes.

"Damon?" I turn to the man who's staring at me. "My son," he whispers, grabbing onto me as he pulls me into a hug too. "My prayers have finally been answered. Let me look at you, son," he asks, stepping back and eyeing me.

"We never lost all hope that you would someday find your way home again. I love you son," he tells me then pulls me into his arms once again. Hesitantly, I bring my arms up to hug him back.

"Can Chris stay for a little while? He's been a good friend to me," I ask, my voice shaky.

"Please do come in Detective Williams. You'll always be welcome in our home for bringing my boy back," he says softly, his voice cracking a little at the end.

"Excuse me please, I'm just overcome with emotion. We've searched for him for so long. We sent his picture to every state in the union. Even to some of the Canadian Provences in hopes that one day our boy would get home. It's truly a miracle that you're here, Damon," he says, his voice full of gratitude and emotion.

"Mommy?"

"Caroline, sweetheart come here. Sweetie, this is your big brother. Damon, this is Caroline," my mom says to introduce us. "Oh where are my manners. Damon, Detective Williams, please come into the family room and have a seat. Joe, why don't you go out to the car and bring Damon's things in."

"I'll go with you, Mr. Salvatore," Chris says, giving me a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

Once we get to the living room and after taking a seat, Mom mentions, "We kept your old room, just as you left it. Of course, we bought you a bigger bed when we found out you were finally going to come home. Please forgive me, I just can't stop crying."

"Are you sad mommy?" Caroline asks, still clinging to my mom.

"No baby, these are happy tears. What do you think of your big brother?"

"He's quiet," she says, her eyes on mine.

I can't help but smile at her innocence. "Caroline, I've been gone for a long time. This is all so new to me. I hope you'll help me out?" I ask her.

Nodding, she comes closer, raising her little arms to hug me. "I know you. Momma and daddy have your pictures on the wall. See," she points out. My mouth drops in awe as I scan the walls to see my six year old self. Swallowing thickly, I'm in shock when she crawls onto my lap. Momentarily stunned into silence, I take a breath, "It's nice to have a little sister. I've never had anyone," I tell her. Looking around, I take in the room, trying to see if anything else sparks a memory when it dawns on me that I haven't seen him yet. "Um mom, where's Stefan?"

"You remember him?"

"Yes, I remember the day dad took me away from you," I explain. When I see the shocked look on her face, I slap my hand across my mouth, realizing I called him dad. "I'm sorry, they made me call them mom and dad. I'm so sorry," I utter, apologizing profusely.

"Damon, sweetheart, it's okay," she says, trying to placate me but I know I hurt her.

Suddenly I hear a loud voice, "Where is that grandson of mine?" When I look up I see that man behind those words.

"Grandpa?"

"My boy, it is you," he says, rushing over to me.

"Grandpa," I say, tears beginning to prick at my eyes as I stare at him.

"Do you remember me, son?"

Unable to speak, I just bob my head up and down as I do have vague memories of him.

"Grandpa, do you know my brother?" Caroline asks him.

"Yes little girl. I do know your brother. He was my first grandchild," he explains to her. "You're such a lucky little girl to have your big brother back."

"Ah ha," she tells him, bobbing her head. "Mommy, can I go back upstairs and play with my Barbie dolls?" My mother presses a kiss to her head then nods.

"Goodbye Damon," she squeaks, waving bye as she walks away.

"He doesn't have much for luggage. I bought him a pair of shoes, a few pairs of jeans and some tee shirts," I hear Chris tell my dad. "Um, maybe I should go with them?"

"Nonsense, your dad can carry it. You seem pretty nervous, Damon, are you okay?"

Expelling a puff of air, I look at grandpa, my eyes conveying my fears and anxiety. "Although I understand fully, your parents love you son. They never stopped looking for you and neither did I. And while I know things are going to be bumpy for awhile, just know that you're a Salvatore and we look out for each other. You can always come to talk to me if you need to, okay?"

"Thank you Grandpa. Do you know where Stefan is? She never really answered me," I ask curiously.

"He's probably out with his friends. He can be kind of a handful sometimes but then again, he bares the Salvatore name," he says with a laugh. When I hear footsteps, I look up to see Chris and my dad step back into the room.

"Well Damon, I should head home. Why don't you walk me out to my car?" he says.

"Um okay," I utter, getting up to follow him outside. "Do you have to go Chris? I...I.. don't know what I'm doing here.. Can't you stay for a little while, please?" I practically beg him. I think he must take pity on me because he agrees. My dad was watching the whole interaction so I know he realizes that I'm a nervous wreck.

"Detective Williams, please stay for awhile if it'll make Damon more comfortable," he offers.

"Thank you, da...dad," I tell him sincerely. "Would you care if Chris and I go for a little walk? Maybe it'll help calm my nerves a little bit?" I can almost see the fear in his eyes. The last time I left this house, I didn't come back. "Chris will be with me, nothing will happen. I promise I'll come back."

Finally he nods. "Be back in a half hour to forty five minutes. Your mom will have food ready by then, okay?" He stands staring at me for a long moment before he hurries over to me and pulls me into his arms. "I love you son," he whispers, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

Not knowing what to say, I shake my head, agreeing with him. He's my father. I'm supposed to love him right? I don't know him though. I don't know any of them anymore.

"We'll be back in a half an hour Mr. Salvatore. I won't let anything happen to him," Chris assures my dad. He gives Chris a look then turns around and goes back into the house but not before turning around and looking at me. When he nods, Chris and I start to walk down the sidewalk.

* * *

"This is the park where he took me," I tell Chris as I walk around, running my hands on the rope ladder that I used to love when I was a little boy. Pointing in its direction, "And that's the bathroom, he took me from when I walked out." Suddenly that memory begins playing like a movie reel in my head.

Chris raises a steady hand to my shoulder. Somehow he knows how to calm me down. "Damon, you do know that the Parkers will be brought to trial. You'll have to testify," he mentions, his eyes on mine.

"How can they ask me to do that? I never want to see them again. They destroyed my life," I whisper, holding back a tear.

"Maybe the judge would allow you to record your testimony. I'll help you in anyway I can. You trust me right?"

Nodding, "Yes."

He takes a look at his watch. "We better get back. I don't want your parents to worry about you again."

"I don't want that either. I don't want you to leave Chris."

"I'll stay for supper then I really need to head back. You can call me anytime, day or night, Damon. Just give your family a chance. You're as much of a stranger to them as they are to you."

"I know," I reply as we start to walk back to my parent's house.

* * *

"Whose car is outside? Is he home?" I hear someone yell.

"It's Stefan," my mother tells me, smiling. Caroline jumps out of her chair and runs out of the room. In mere minutes, she's tugging Stefan into the room with her. I can only stare.

"Damon?"

"Um... Stef? It's good to see you again."

As he walks towards me, I stand up. Just as I'm about to extend my hand to shake, he wraps his arms around me too. This family is sure hands on, emotional. I get a little prickly with all the touching. I don't have great memories of my parents, I mean the Parker's touching me.

"I'm glad to have you home, brother."

"Stefan? Where did you go?" I hear a girl say.

"In the kitchen. Come here, I want you to meet someone," he tells her. My mouth literally drops open when I see the girl who steps through the kitchen doorway. She's beautiful.

"Elena, this is my brother Damon. Damon, this is my friend and our next door neighbor, Elena."

Extending her hand, she smiles widely. "Hello Damon, I'm really happy to meet you."

Taking her hand, I immediately feel the electricity when our palms touch. "Ah.. um, it's good to meet you too," I stutter. The rest of the room just fades away as I'm completely lost in her burnished yet endless brown eyes.

* * *

 _Thank you all for the wonderful response to this so far. A huge thanks to Eva, her brilliance makes my stories infinitely better. Vanagonne has a brilliant story called 'Bloom'. She just commenced a new one called 'Not the Way it Was Supposed to Be'. She's a gifted writer. Go show her some support too. 'Nothing Else Matters and 'Shatter Me' will update Saturday. Remember REVIEWS ARE LOVE! Have a wonderful weekend. Stay tuned for more next week._


	4. I'm Not Okay, I Promise

_The rest of the room just fades away as I'm completely lost in her burnished yet endless brown eyes._

"Do you mind if I sit down?" she asks gesturing to the empty chair beside me.

I can only shake my head because I don't know what to say.

"Of course, Elena. Have a seat, I'll get you and Stefan a plate," my mother says to her, smiling.

"It must feel kind of surreal to be back here?" Elena points out.

"Um... yes it does," I reply, unable to look away.

"I just live across the street. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm usually around."

"Ah.. thank you. That's good to know. I may take you up on that if Stefan doesn't mind."

"He won't mind, will you?" she smirks, elbowing him gently in the ribs.

"No, of course not. Me and Elena, we're just friends, that's all," he says nonchalantly.

"Damon, we'll have to go to the school sometime this week to get you registered. What grade are you in?" my mother asks.

"I... I was home schooled. I don't honestly know what grade I'd be considered in," I reply uneasily.

"Maybe they'll want to test you for proficiency. Oh my gosh, we don't have any of your vaccination records. I don't know how that's going to work," she frets.

After giving me a terse smile, Chris turns to my mom. "I rather doubt that he received his immunizations. I can ask _'them'_ if you'd like but they haven't been very cooperative with our interrogators."

"Oh..., I really don't know what to say," she says nervously, staring at me for a moment.

"I'm sorry, I don't know.." I answer her anxiously, looking at Chris.

Mom turns her eyes to dad and then back to me, "Damon, sweetheart, it's okay. None of this is your fault."

Unable to control my emotions any longer, I jump out of my chair and run outside.

"Damon?" I hear Chris say as I'm pacing in the driveway.

Reaching up to wipe a the beginnings of tears from my eyes, "I don't know how to act around these people. I don't know them."

"I know you don't. But Damon, they don't know how to act around you either. One day at a time, my friend. Everyday you'll get up and do it all over again until one day it won't be so hard anymore."

"It's like we're all walking on eggshells," I blurt out. When I turn to look away from him, I see my mom standing in the doorway, tears in her eyes. When her eyes meet mine, she steps away.

"God, they can hardly even stand to look at me. Sometimes when my parents, I mean the Parkers, were beating me, I just wanted to die. I don't know how to do this," I whisper, shaking my head in frustration. When Chris suddenly pulls me into his arms, I feel safe for the first time in so very long.

"Please can you stay one night? Please Chris," I practically beg him. We pull apart when the front door slams.

"Detective Williams, you're more than welcome to stay the night with us. We'll be eternally in your debt for bringing Damon home to us."

Eyeing me sympathetically, dad continues, "If Damon will feel more at ease with you here, please stay. We want to make this transition as easy as we can for him."

"Of course, Mr. Salvatore. In the short time we've known him, Damon has come to mean a lot to my wife and me. I'm just going to call her to tell her that I won't be home till sometime tomorrow. If you'll excuse me," he says, looking at both me and my dad before walking towards his car.

"Damon, I know we're basically strangers to you, but we do love you son. Please give us a chance," my dad asks, his head tilting just a little as he looks into my eyes.

"I want to. It's just so hard, you know?" I admit.

"I can't begin to fathom what you've been through over the last ten years but I promise you that we never gave up hope that maybe someday you'd come back. You have no idea how it feels inside to be staring at the fine young man you've grown up to be."

"Thank you," I tell him just as Chris walks back over to dad and me.

"Amanda sends her love and I'm to let you know that you're in her thoughts. And Damon, if it's okay with your parents, Amanda and I will come to see you from time to time."

"Oh absolutely, Chris. Is it okay if I call you that? And please call me Joe."

"Certainly you can call me Chris. You don't know this Joe, but your son is a hero to a little boy named Michael. Mr. Parker took Michael from his parents the same as Damon. Your son risked a lot to bring Michael to me at the police station. That took a lot of courage. I, for one, admire him greatly."

My dad's eyes widen a moment, he reaches for me but when he sees me shiver, he steps back. I see hurt in his eyes but he masks it quickly.

"I am very proud of him, Chris. Thank you for sharing that with me. Do you two want to come back inside now? Millie is a little anxious."

Nodding, I follow him inside, Chris behind me. When we get in the house, I hear laughter, infectious laughter. Curiosity must show on my face because my mom says that it's Elena who's making so much noise.

Smiling at me, albeit a little cautiously, she says, "Stefan and Elena are watching a movie with Caroline. You can go in there and join them if you'd like?"

When Chris gives me a subtle nod, "Um, yeah, I'd like that."

Pointing the way, she smiles at me. "They're just in the other room. I'm going to make some coffee. We'll be in the kitchen if you need us."

Biting my lower lip, I take a deep breath and walk in the other room to join my siblings and Elena.

* * *

" _Mommy," I start to yell. A hand clamps over my mouth at the same time he picks me up and runs away with me. The next thing I know I'm being shoved into the back seat of a car with a lady. She takes a piece of cloth and presses it over my face. I don't remember much after that. When I wake up, I'm in a strange house. I don't know where I am. I start crying because I want my mommy and daddy. When I hear the someone turning the door knob, I jump off the bed to hide underneath it. A hand grabs onto my leg and pulls me out. It's the same people that took me from my mommy._

 _"Don't be scared Danny. We're your mom and dad now."_

 _"My name is Damon."_

 _"Don't you dare use that name again. Your name is Danny and you are our son. Your parents didn't want you anymore so they arranged for us to take you."_

 _I can't stop the tears that start to pour out of my eyes. "My mommy and daddy didn't want me no more?" I blubber._

 _"Nope. You were too much trouble. Now, what's your name?"_

 _"My name is Damon," I reply tearfully. After I say that, he pulls his belt from his pants. Then he pulls my pants down before pushing me face first onto the bed. I scream when I feel the lash of the belt against my butt again and again. When he finally stops, I curl up into as little a ball as I can on the bed._

 _"Now, what is your name?"_

 _"Damon," When he raises the belt again, I bury my face in the covers as I feel the intense sting of the belt against my skin all over again._

 _"What is your name?" he asks, his voice cruel._

 _"Dam.. I mean Danny," I cry. "Don't hit me anymore, please don't hit me anymore."_

"Damon?" When I hear my name and feel hands on my upper arms, I lurch upright in bed, still feeling the sting of that belt as my father beat me. Tears fall from my eyes as I struggle to understand where I am.

"Damon, it's Chris. It was a bad dream," he whispers, laying his hand atop one of mine. Suddenly my real mom and dad burst into my room.

"Are you okay? We heard screams. Just as I'm about to answer them, Stefan comes running to the doorway as well. After staring at me for several moments, he turns to our mother, looking confused.

"You can go back to bed Stefan. He'll be okay." Once he shares another stare with me, he looks at mom, nods and walks away.

"I had a nightmare. I'm sorry if I woke you. I don't mean to cause trouble," I tell them, fearfully, unconsciously pulling back as she gets closer. I'm nearly hyperventilating as I watch my mom take a few hesitant steps forward, stooping down when she reaches my bedside.

"Sweetheart, you didn't cause any trouble. I promise I won't ever let anyone hurt you ever again," she says, reaching up to finger a few hairs off of my forehead.

"I love you, Damon."

Feeling tears begin to prick at my eyes I turn away. Chris smiles tightly then steps back to go to talk to my dad, leaving me alone with her.

"Please don't hurt me," I whisper, staring down as I pick at the bed sheets. Cautiously she stands and sits down where Chris was. My hands start to shake when she sets hers atop mine as Chris did.

"Please look at me," she asks. Exhaling deeply, I finally raise my eyes to her tear filled ones.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you, Damon. I'm haunted by nightmares of that day too. As your mother, I was supposed to protect you and I failed. Please forgive me."

"Please don't cry." I whisper. She closes her eyes for a moment, then reaches up hesitantly with her hand to place her palm against my cheek. Unconsciously, I lean into it, my eyes dropping closed in a moment of serenity. When I open my eyes again, she stands up and presses a kiss to my head.

"I'll let you go back to sleep now. Goodnight, Damon," she whispers then steps out of my room just as Chris comes back in.

* * *

"Well Damon, I really need to get back. Why don't you walk me to my car?"

As I feel my lips begin to quiver, I just nod so they can't hear the fear echoed in my voice. I follow him outside to his car. Chris leans against it and crosses his arms.

"Please remember what I said Damon. It's only natural for you to be scared. I understand that and so do your parents. They're scared too. I talked to your dad last night. I really think some counseling would be a benefit for both you as an individual and for your family. I want you to have a good life, Damon. You've come to be very important to me in the short time we've known each other. Turning his back to me, he opens the car and reaches for something. When he hands me a box, I look at him a little confused.

"It's a cell phone. Don't worry about the bill. I've added you to my family plan. I already put my number and Amanda's number in as well as the number to my office at the police station. I know I've already told you this but you can call me or even Amanda anytime of the day or night if you need something or if you just need someone to talk to. I want you to keep in touch. I want to know how you're doing in school and with your family. Your parents said it would be okay if Amanda and I came to visit you from time to time. I can't say when I can get a few days off again but you have my word that we will come to see you. Okay?"

"Thanks Chris and thank you for this," I tell him, holding up the I phone he gave me. "I'm going to try to make you proud of me."

Exhaling, he smiles then wraps his arms around me. "I already am proud of you," he says quietly next to my ear. When he lets go, he glances at his watch.

"Goodbye Damon," he says, then gives me one last hug before crawling into his car. After buckling the seatbelt, he pulls the door closed. When he turns on the ignition, I rap on the car window.

Once he rolls it down, I extend my hand. Smiling, he squeezes it tight, shaking it. Reaching into his pocket, he thrusts a few dollars into my hand.

"You're going to be okay, Damon. Goodbye now," he says, then puts the car into gear and drives off, leaving me alone. I can't help the tears that form in my eyes as I watch his car disappear around a corner.

* * *

Just as I'm about to turn to walk back into the house, I hear my name.

"Hi Damon."

"Oh, hi Elena. That's your name right? There was so much going on last night, everything is still kind of a blur."

"Yes, I'm Elena. Would you like to go for a walk?"

"Um, sure... let me tell them where I'm going," I mutter, pointing towards my house.

"I think that's probably a good idea." Together we walk up back to the house and go inside. My mom is sitting with Caroline reading her a story.

"Hi Mrs. Salvatore," Elena says, smiling as she walks into the living room as if she owned the place.

"Hello Elena. What's up? Stefan went over to Katherine's house."

"Actually I came over to see if Caroline would like to go to get an ice cream cone at the park. I thought maybe Damon could come with us."

"Sure, if you want to, Damon?"

"I guess it would be alright," I reply with a little hesitancy.

"Okay. Just be home by four thirty okay?"

"Sure Mrs. Salvatore. Come on Caroline, let's go," she says, holding out her hand. When we get outside, Caroline slides her little hand in mine as we walk down the sidewalk towards the park.

When we get to the park I look around. I was just here yesterday with Chris, yet it feels different somehow.

"Let's go get some ice cream first. Then we can let Caroline play for a little while before we have to go back." Elena says casually. Nodding, I follow her to the ice cream shack.

"Can I help you?" the man behind the counter asks. "Yes, we need two vanilla ice cream cones. Damon?"

"I'll have vanilla too. Thank you Elena."

"No problem." Once we get our cones, we go back outside to sit on the benches near the swing sets.

"Stefan told me about how you disappeared. He said he was only four when you went missing and that he doesn't really remember much about you."

"Yeah, I suppose not," I utter, turning away from her.

"I'm sorry, Damon. I don't mean to upset you."

"It's not your fault. It's just that I've been gone for ten years. I don't know them and they don't know me. It's going to be hard," I admit, staring up the sky.

"I'm sure it will be hard. But Damon, your family, they're good people. I'm a year older than Stefan but he is my best friend. I know full well that he can be kind of self centered sometimes. When you feel like you want to rip his hair out, you can come to talk to me if you need to cool off. Lord knows, I'd like to knock him into next week sometimes," she says with that laugh.

"So, he's not your boyfriend?"

Laughing even harder, she blurts out "No, no he's not. We're honestly just friends. We've been best friends since the sandbox practically. There's never been nor will there ever be anything romantic between the two of us."

Just as I'm about to say something, someone walks up to us. "Hey Elena."

"Oh hi Matt. Matt this is my friend Damon. He's Stefan's brother," she says, introducing us.

"Hey Damon," he says, offering his hand.

"Hi."

"Did you finish your history paper, Elena?" he asks.

"No, I'm going to work on it this evening. You?"

"Nah, I need to work on it too. I have to run. I need to get to work. It's nice meeting you Damon. Bye Elena," he says, then walks off.

"Elena, I have to go potty," Caroline says, squeezing her little legs together.

"Okay sweetie, let's go," Elena says, taking her hand.

"I'll wait outside the door," I say standing up.

"You don't have to Damon. I won't let her alone in there."

"Um, okay," I tell her, my voice a little shaky. Watching them walk away, I feel fear erupting in my stomach. That's the bathroom I was taken from. I don't know why I didn't feel such fear when I was here with Chris yesterday. Maybe it's because my little sister is in there. When I see a woman looking around suspiciously before walking in the bathroom, I spring to my feet and rush over to the bathroom to wait for Caroline and Elena. I can feel my hands starting to shake as I wait for them to come out. Every time I glance down at my watch, only a few more seconds have elapsed.

"Elena? Caroline?" I call aloud.

When they don't answer, I feel my hands starting to shake when suddenly I'm thrust back in time. As I watch my six year old self being carried away, hand over my mouth, I break out into a cold sweat, butterflies erupt in my stomach as a feeling of stark terror invades my senses.

"Caroline, Elena," I yell frantically at the same time I begin pacing back and forth in front of the bathroom.

Just as I'm about to barge in there, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I practically jump out of my skin before I realize that it's Elena, holding Caroline's hand.

"I'm sorry, you didn't come out. I saw that lady go inside. I'm sorry," I tell her, dropping to my knees, inhaling deeply.

Elena stoops down, staring at me with pity in her eyes and I hate it. "There was no lady, Damon. It was just me and Caroline. I'm so sorry that we scared you."

"Please don't look at me like that. I'm not a freak," I lash out, stumbling as I try to stand up.

"Calm down, Damon. I certainly didn't mean to imply any such thing. I'm really sorry if I gave you that impression."

Dropping my face into my hands, I take a few steady breaths trying to calm down.

"I swear I saw a suspicious looking lady go inside."

"This is where you were taken from isn't it?" she deduces. It's quite obvious really given my visceral reaction.

"Yes," I whisper, turning away.

"Damon? You okay?" Caroline asks, looking at me a little fearfully.

"I'm sorry Caroline. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's okay," she says softly.

Swallowing thickly, I look at my little sister again. "Would you like a piggyback ride?"

"Yay," she says bobbing her head up and down.

I can't help the smile that forms on my face, she's such a pretty little girl. Lifting her up, I put her on my shoulders, trying not to let her rub against my scars.

"Hang on tight," I tell her. Elena smiles at me while offering her hand.

Staring at her hand, I suck my lower lip in between my teeth. Tentatively, I reach out to her. After lacing her fingers with mine, I wrap my arm around Caroline's legs to keep her safe.

"You ready?" Elena asks, winking at me playfully. After giving her fingers a gentle squeeze, we start walking back. In my mind, I have to wonder if I'll ever be 'normal' again.

* * *

 _Damon has been through so very much. This isn't going to be an easy transition for any of them. The biggest thanks to Eva. And thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing. I do hope you'll continue to support this story. It's only in its infancy. This is a long story so there's so much to come yet. 'Nothing Else Matters' and 'Shatter Me' will update tomorrow. Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans:_

 _"... And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor."_

 _It's unfortunate that 'sacred honor' went the way of the Dodo. (An extinct bird). But I digress. Have a wonderful safe and happy weekend. *Reviews are Love* See you next time._


	5. Mad World

"A parent's worst nightmare came true for the Salvatore family of Mystic Falls ten years ago. Their son Damon was abducted, vanishing completely. Over the years, although they tell us they never gave up hope, it did diminish as each year passed. They followed many a lead only to come up empty handed. Well fast forward that ten years and they were given the gift of a lifetime when by some miracle their son was returned home to them.

The Salvatore's did not want to appear on camera with us but they did ask us to convey their thanks to all of you for the well wishes and a special thanks to those of you who always believed that one day their son would find his way back home. This is Andie Starr, Channel Ten News, on location in front of the Salvatore home."

* * *

"Mr. Lockwood, this is my son, Damon. We need to register him for classes. He was home schooled so we don't know for certain which grade he's supposed to be in. He's sixteen," my mother tells the principal here at the high school.

"It's nice to meet you, Damon," he says offering his hand. Hesitantly, I shake it before letting go.

"I'm going to have Mrs. Thomas join us. She's our guidance counselor. I believe she'll probably want to have him take some proficiency tests."

"And we don't know about Damon's immunization status. I guess I'll need to make him a doctor appointment so they can check his titers," my mom adds, nervously glancing at me.

"Yes, that's probably what you'll need to do," he answers, picking up the phone. "Hello Rose, do you have a few minutes to come to my office? I have a new student down here that I'd like you to meet. Thank you Rose. She'll be here in a few minutes."

We wait in silence till Mrs. Thomas steps in. "Hello Mrs. Salvatore," she greets us.

Smiling my mother introduces us. "This is my son, Damon. I'm sure you're well aware of his circumstances."

"Yes, I heard about his story on the news. You're so very lucky Mrs. Salvatore. Most abducted children are never seen or heard from again," she says pointedly, while staring at me. Unable to maintain her stare, I turn my eyes away.

"Rose, Damon will most likely need some testing to determine which grade he should be in. Apparently he was home schooled."

"Certainly. Can you bring him in tomorrow morning so I can have him take some tests?"

"Yes, that'll be fine. Thank you, Mrs. Thomas," mom says to her.

"Please let us know about his vaccination status. We'll see you tomorrow Damon," Principal Lockwood says, standing up to walk us out.

* * *

"Hi Millie," some guy greets my mom as we're walking down the school hallway towards the exit.

"Ric, I'd like you to meet my son, Damon. Damon, this is Mr. Saltzman."

The man offers his hand to me, "It's great to meet you, Damon," he says, his voice kind.

"Um...," I utter, turning to look at my mom.

"Ric actually lives across the street, Damon. He's married to Elena's aunt Jenna," mom informs me.

"Elena lives with you?"

"Yes, both Elena and her brother, Jeremy live with us." Not knowing what to say, I just nod.

My mom mentions, "I need to take Damon over to our doctor's office now so we're done in time to pick Caroline up from school. We'll see you Ric."

"It was nice meeting you, Damon."

I look from my mom to him before replying, "You too."

"Let's go Damon," my mom says gently pressing her hand against my back to urging me forward. I can't help but startle when she touches me. Most of the times, I was touched it was done with fury and anger. I don't want her to know that. They'll just feel more pity and I don't want it. Completely lost in thought, I'm aroused when she gives me another gentle push.

"Damon? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," I tell her then start walking beside her as we leave the school.

* * *

I'm finally back at home in my room. I really wish Chris could've stayed a little longer. I feel so alone here. Reaching over to my bedside stand, I pick up the phone he gave me. When I press the contacts button, his name pops up first followed by Amanda's. They were completely kind to me for the two weeks I stayed with them while Chris worked tirelessly to find my family for me. As uneasy as I feel here, I almost wish I could've stayed at his house a little while longer.

I just wish I knew what my parent's expected of me? I don't remember my real mom and dad ever being cruel to me the way the Parker's were but those memories are so scattered now. I don't know how much is real and how much is imagined. Just as I'm about to shoot off a text to Chris, I hear a knock on my door. "Come in."

"Hi Damon," Caroline says as she peaks her head through my door.

"Oh hi, Caroline. Did you want something?"

"Mama said I could ask you to watch a movie with me. Do you want to?"

"Uh, I don't know. What movie?"

"The Goonies."

"I don't think I've ever seen that movie. What's it about?"

"It's fun," she says excitedly. "The kids find a treasure map and they go to look for it. Please watch it with me."

Unable to say no to her, I nod my head. "Come on. We can watch it my room," she says, grabbing my hand and pulling.

Seeing how it's funny that she's trying to pull me up, I can't help but laugh a little bit. "Okay, okay, I'm coming." I follow her to her room. She has 'Disney' princess posters all over her walls. I'm struck mute when I see my picture on top of her dresser beside a family picture with the four of them. I know I shouldn't feel bitter but I do. The four of them are all smiling like they didn't have a care in world, when their own flesh and blood was left to fend for himself against the monsters that held him captive for so long.

I'm shaken from my reverie when I feel her tugging on the sleeve of my shirt. "Sit down," she says, pointing to the bed. Once I'm seated she starts the movie before coming to sit beside me. My nerves are alight that she's sitting so close. Knowing I need a little space, I scoot over a bit so we're not touching. She looks at me curiously, shrugs her shoulders then turns her attention back to the movie.

* * *

" _Your mother said you were a very bad boy today. What do you have to say for yourself?" he seethes as he slowly pulls his belt out of the loops of his jeans._

 _"I didn't do anything wrong. I just played outside," I utter, fear unmistakable in my voice._

 _"That's not what your mom said. She said you were hanging out with the neighbors telling secrets."_

 _"No, I didn't tell them anything, I swear I didn't," I plead, cowering into the corner of my room._

 _"Sometimes, I don't know why the hell I let you live. You're worthless. Look at you sniveling in a corner," he sneers, shaking his head._

 _"Now you come here and take your punishment like a man," he yells, abruptly pulling me from the corner before throwing me onto the bed. Soon I feel the sting of the belt as he lashes the backs of my legs with it. He'll only hit me harder if I cry so I bit onto my lip trying to keep it inside. When I hear my bedroom door slam shut and lock, I know it's safe to get up. Only now do I let my tears fall._

"Please stop!" I yell, lurching upright in bed. It takes me a moment to get my bearings and realize that I'm in no danger. After taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat from brow, I reach over to grab the bottle of water that's sitting on my bedside stand. By the time, I get my breathing back under control, I hear the creek of my door as it's slowly pushed open.

"Damon?"

"I'm okay. Please, I just want to go back to sleep." Opening my eyes, I see my dad staring at me.

"I'm sorry I woke you," I utter, turning away disgusted with myself.

"Son, if you want to talk, you can come to mom or me anytime. I can't begin to imagine all that you're feeling inside Damon. But please know that your mom and I love you and we're so grateful to have you back home with us."

"I know, I know. I don't know how to do this," I lash out in frustration, my hands fisting the sheets.

"Hey, hey, calm down. Your friend Chris suggested counseling. Is that something you'd be willing to consider?"

My chest is heaving as I take a few deep breaths. Knowing Chris wants me to do this, I can only nod before dropping back onto the bed, turning away from my father.

"Goodnight Damon," he whispers. When I hear the door close, I finally let my tears fall.

* * *

"Are you okay to go to school with Stefan and Elena?" my mom asks.

Nodding, "I'm not a child you know," I utter quietly but I know she heard me.

"I'm sorry. Of course you're not a child. But given your 'unique' circumstances, I didn't know, I..I thought maybe you'd want a ride on your first day."

"Yeah and give the kids another reason to make fun of me," I reply, shaking my head.

"Damon?"

Raising my head to look at her, I exhale sharply, "It is what it is. I don't want to talk about it anymore." Just as I'm about to put a bite of food into my mouth, Elena and Stefan walk into the kitchen.

"Good morning Elena. You're here early," mom opines.

"Ric was going to give us a ride but since he's taking a personal day, I thought I'd rather walk with these two," she says, pointing first to Stefan and then to me.

"Do you want something to eat? I have plenty of eggs and bacon."

"Sure," she replies, dropping into the seat beside me.

"Hi Damon. Are you ready for your first day of school?"

"Um.. yeah, I guess I have to be," I answer, not making eye contact. In the next moment, Stefan takes a seat on the other side of me. When I scoot my chair over to put a little distance between myself and Elena, Stefan remarks acerbically, "She doesn't bite Damon."

Starting to feel caged in, my breath hitches and my hands start tremble ever so subtly. Although barely noticeable, I can tell by Stefan's expression that he does notice it. When mom leaves the room, he winks at Elena, "Are you afraid of girls, Damon?" Not knowing what to say, I stare at him a moment. Saying nothing, I choose to ignore him and start to eat, shaky hands and all.

"Hah! You are afraid of girls!" he teases, laughing even harder. Even though I try to keep ignoring him, I can't when he jabs me in the ribs, his laughter vicious and hurtful.

"Did they keep you in a box? Have you even met any other girls before?"

Pretending something is in my eye, I reach up to wipe it. "Ah, poor little Damon gonna cry now?"

"Stefan, knock it off," Elena demands, swatting him alongside the head.

"Oh c'mon Elena, I'm just having a little fun. Hell, he's probably even still a virgin!" he remarks quietly but with derision.

Although it takes everything in me, I calmly get up and walk out of the kitchen. Just as I'm ready to take off, I can't help but overhear Elena scolding him.

"What's the matter with you Stefan? Can't you tell he believes every word? Why would you treat your brother like that anyway?"

"Because he's a freak. Every night he wakes us up screaming. I wish he never would've come back," he yells back at her.

While doing my best to hold back my tears till I'm alone, I march back into the kitchen.

"If you hate me and are so embarrassed to have such a freak for a brother, I can leave," I yell then run out of the house and down the block. Without even realizing it, I find myself back in the very park that launched all of my nightmares. Seeing no one around, I let my tears fall freely down my cheeks.

* * *

 _There is some acrimony between Damon and Stefan but trust me on this as you did on 'Nothing Else Matters'. Thank you so much Eva. Have a safe and fun holiday. Thank you all of you for your reviews, follows and favorites. There is much left to tell in this story. As you can guess, Damon was kept pretty isolated. He doesn't know his family anymore than they know him. It's going to be a rough slog to put the puzzle pieces back together. 'Shatter Me' and 'Nothing Else Matters' will be updating tomorrow. Please give those a look too. Remember *Reviews Are Love*... Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Until next time..._

 _It's been requested that I post another chapter before next Friday. I've told you many a time that I won't hold my stories hostage for reviews so you will get an update next week no matter what. However, I may be persuaded to post two chapters next week, (one would be earlier than Friday) if enough of you review. The decision is up to those of you who read this._


	6. Going Under

_Seeing no one around, I let my tears fall freely down my cheeks._

Feeling the need to make myself scarce, I wander aimlessly through the park. Knowing it's probably the first place they'll look for me, I get up and start wandering about the town. When I find a McDonald's, I go in and buy myself something to eat with the money Chris gave me. I hang out there for quite sometime just watching people, envious of how carefree the children romp in the play area while their parents stand guard.

After a few hours, I walk through downtown Mystic Falls. I haven't seen it since I was a little boy. Nothing really looks familiar except the big clock tower on city hall. Pulling my parka up around my neck because it's cold, I find myself back at the park. I drop down onto one of the swings, hoping the sunshine will warm me up a bit.

All at once the weight of the day catches up to me. Dropping my face into my hands, I subtly shake my head from side to side, my eyes moistening at the circumstances I find myself in. I'm not sorry that I helped Michael but I wish I would've disappeared after making sure he was safe. I hate this place. Their lives don't include me anymore. I can't go back to my mom and dad's, I mean the Parkers, anymore because they're in jail. What have I done? I think to myself as I try to make myself small enough to disappear.

Once I get control of my emotions, I grab my cell phone, debating whether or not I should call Chris. Maybe I could live with him and Amanda? Not wanting to worry him, I stick my phone back into my pocket. Using my feet, I propel myself through the air on the swing set. Once I'm high enough, I parachute to the ground, landing in a heap in the snow. Unable to cry anymore, I just sit there in stunned silence, staring straight ahead at nothing really. When I hear someone say my name, I startle, then jump up to face whoever is in front of me.

"Damon?"

"Um.. um," I mumble, unable to form any words, stumbling backwards.

Mr. Saltzman grabs a hold of my arm, stopping my fall. Once I have my balance, he looks at me pointedly. "School is just getting out for the day. Did you go?"

Shaking my head, I look at him ashamed knowing my eyes are red and swollen from crying.

"Did something happen, Damon?"

Completely defeated, I stare at him for a long time. "It's nothing that getting kidnapped again won't fix," I utter flippantly, under my breath. After dropping back to the ground, I scoot back up against the tree, unconsciously rubbing my back against the bark of the tree even though my parka is preventing the rough, jagged bark from hurting me.

"Damon, you can talk to me. I know you don't know me from the man in the moon but I promise that I'll keep whatever you want to say to me in confidence. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult an adjustment this is for you," he says, taking a seat beside me on the ground.

Internally waging war with myself, I shake my head from side to side. "I can't, I don't even know you or anything about you," I reply succinctly, no longer making eye contact.

"You're right, you don't know me. But your mom and dad are good people, Damon. I mean, there's no 'how to manual' on dealing with your 'unique' circumstances. I really admire you," he says.

"You don't know me either," I reply, skeptically, my eyes focusing on my hands that are knotting in my lap.

"No Damon, I don't know you at all but I do know your family. Your dad has told me about you and how he'd give anything to have you back. Through, him I do know about you. Despite what you believe about yourself, you are a survivor. I admire your strength."

"I'm no one," I whisper, staring straight ahead, unable to look at him.

"No, Damon. You're a very important someone. You'll never see the look of complete joy that I saw on your mom and dad's faces when they told Jenna and me that you were finally coming home. They love you."

Shaking my head back and forth again, I drop my head and swallow thickly as I attempt to get a handle on my emotions once more. I suck in a couple of deep shuddering breaths before turning my weary eyes to his. I have no idea how to respond to him so I just shrug my shoulders.

"Does your mom know where you are?" he asks.

"Probably not," I say, looking away again, spiraling on the inside to a place of self loathing and revulsion.

"Do you mind if I give her a call and tell her that you're safe?"

"No, I suppose not."

After he shoots a text off to my mom or so he says, he asks, "Are you hungry?"

"No."

After I hear him take a deep breath, he begins, "Come on then, I'll walk home with you. Even if she already read my text, I'm sure your mom is frantic with worry."

"I don't need a baby sitter," I mumble.

"No, no you don't. But why don't you let me walk with you anyway. We are neighbors after all."

Fisting my hands at my sides, I exhale sharply before finally nodding my consent. As we're walking down the sidewalk, side by side, my phone suddenly rings.

"Hello?" I answer.

"It's Chris. Your mom called me, Damon. She said you ran off. But first things first, are you okay?" he asks me.

"No," I tell him softly, turning my back and walking a short distance away from Mr. Saltzman.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" Chris says, his voice full of concern for me.

"It's the never ending nightmares. My brother all but said he hated me and wished I hadn't come home," I confess, my voice cracking.

"Damon, I don't know what to say. I'm stunned that your brother would say that to you. What do you need me to do?"

"Can I come back to live with you?" I ask, my voice cracking under the weight of everything I'm feeling inside.

"Damon, you know that can't happen..." After a long pause, he continues, "But... I have a long weekend coming up. If it's okay with your mom and dad, Amanda and I will drive down there to spend some time with you. Do you want to ask your mom or do you want me to talk to her?"

"Please do call her. You should have heard him Chris. He was making fun of me because I've never been around girls or even other kids for that matter. Dad... I mean Kai, never let me talk to strangers. They never had company come over. It was always just the three of us," I tell him, my voice more steady talking to Chris.

"I just feel like... I don't know.. like maybe I don't belong here. I mean, I'm not the Damon they used to know."

"Listen, I want you to calm down and try to relax okay? I'll give your mom a call to see if it's alright if we come to see you. But listen, Damon. I'm going to recommend that they get you to a counselor sooner rather than later. Clearly you need someone to talk to. Would you be agreeable to that?"

Still feeling lost and alone, I rake my hand through my hair as I close my eyes and answer softly, "Yes."

"I'm proud of you. I'm going to hang up now. You go home so your mom quits worrying. And I want you to go to school tomorrow with your head held high. Do you hear me?"

Nodding, my voice barely a whisper, I reply, "I hear you."

"I will text you after I talk to your parents. Goodbye now," I hear him say before the phone clicks off.

Not wanting to lose the connection I feel to him, I don't click off my end of the phone for several seconds. I jump when I feel a hand on my shoulder. "Damon, are you ready to go home?" Mr. Saltzman asks.

Biting onto my lower lip nervously, I blink my eyes in acceptance. It's just the two of us walking side by side as he leads the way to 'their' house.

* * *

"Damon! Thank God, I was so worried," my mom yells pulling me into her arms. When she feels me stiffen, she lets go and steps back. I can see that she's hurt but she doesn't know that I've never known anything but pain when it comes to close contact.

"Why did you run off? And why didn't you go to school?" she asks, looking at me curiously.

"I... I...," just as I'm about to explain, I see Stefan leering at me through a gap in the curtain in the front window.

"Well?" she repeats, her stance hardening as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"I.. I don't know why. I just couldn't," I yell then run into the house and straight to my room. After closing and locking the door, I fall onto my bed, closing my eyes in hopes that sleep will pull me under.

* * *

Millie:

"Thanks for bringing him home Ric. I was worried sick. I don't know why he ran off like that?" I say, shaking my head in exasperation. "In so many ways, my child is a stranger. I don't know a thing about his life with those people." As tears fill my eyes, I blurt out, "It cut me to the core when he called them mom and dad a few days ago."

"Millie, I think Stefan said something to him."

"Why do you say that?" I ask curiously.

"Well, he had a phone call while we were walking home. I overheard him say something, the gist of which being that Stefan hates him and wishes that Damon hadn't come home.

"Stefan wouldn't say such a thing," I utter in disbelief.

"Are you sure? I saw him glaring at Damon when we walked up."

"I guess maybe Joe and I will have to have a talk with Stefan. Thanks again for bringing Damon home. Goodbye Ric," I tell him then turn around to walk into the house.

"Stefan?"

"Did you want something mom?" he asks just as he and Elena step into the kitchen.

"What happened with Damon this morning? Did you say something that upset him?"

"No! Why would I do that?" he replies indignantly. I can't help but notice how Elena looks almost aghast at him.

I chew on lip for a moment just staring at him and then at her. "Elena, I've never known you to lie to me. Do you know why Damon lit out of here like a bat out of hell?"

"Um..," she says eyeing Stefan. "I.. I," she says, exhaling. "Yes, Stefan was making fun of him because he seems pretty squeamish around me. He laughed at him saying that Damon was afraid of girls and that he's probably 'inexperienced' if you get my drift."

"Stefan, now this time I want the truth," I demand, turning to him. He's glaring at Elena with one of the 'if looks could kill stares' before turning back to me.

"He's such a freak. Every night, he wakes up screaming. I haven't had a full night's sleep since he came. It's like he's afraid of his own shadow. You and dad are all worried and concerned about him. Well, newsflash, he's not your only kid!" he yells, throwing his arms up in frustration.

"Stefan, you know that's not fair. You and Caroline have had our undying attention for ten long years. All during that time as agonizing as it was to not know if your flesh and blood was still alive, dad and I moved ahead with our lives precisely because of you and Caroline," I explain as I try to make him understand.

"Yeah, well, I don't care. I wish he would've stayed with those people. I don't want him here," he seethes, picking up a glass from table and launching it against the wall sending glass shards flying.

"Stefan Salvatore! What's the matter with you? Now you get a broom and dustpan and get this glass cleaned up before someone gets hurt. When I look at Elena, I see her mouth hanging open but I also see drops of blood on her arms, no doubt from ricocheting shards of glass.

"Come Elena, let's get that cleaned up," I tell her as I lead her into the bathroom. She follows along blindly, in stunned silence. When I turn back to look at Stefan, he sneers at me but does grab the broom and dustpan. "Your father is going to hear about this Stefan."

"Is that a threat?"

"No Stefan, it's a promise." With that, I walk into the bathroom to help clean up Elena's cuts.

* * *

Damon:

 _"Get out of that bed right now or I'll beat you senseless," my mom yells at me, cigarette dangling from her mouth. I can already smell the alcohol emanating from her breath. Pushing back the covers, I cautiously stand up and walk towards the bathroom. Just as I'm about to reach the safety of it as I can lock the door, she grabs onto my hair, pulling so hard, I literally fall over. I gasp in pain when my ribs crash into the corner of the end table. Sucking a few deep breaths as the fall knocked the wind out of me, I reach around with my hand to cradle that spot as I struggle to stand up._

 _"What's the matter?" she taunts, her voice dripping with venom._

 _"No...Nothing..," I stutter, short of breath._

 _"Well, get dressed so you can come out here and get the house cleaned." she yells, swatting me on the backside of the head for good measure. Then she walks out pulling the door closed behind her. When I lift my hand, my ribs are already bruising as a big purple bump is forming under my skin. It hurts to take a deep breath. She must've broke another one of my ribs... Unable to do anything else, I go into the bathroom to dress.._

I fly up in bed, fortunately I don't scream this time. Unconsciously I rub my hand along my ribcage. My mouth is dry so I reach over to grab my bottle of water. With my attention on taking a drink, I don't hear the door push all the way open.

"Damon?"

"Caroline, why are you still awake? It's late."

"I heard all the noise you were making. Did you have another bad dream?"

"Did I scream?"

"No. I was going to come in because I forgot to tell you night, night. I saw you moving all over the bed," she tells me perceptively. Cautiously she steps into my room and walks over to the bed. I can only stare at her as she climbs onto the bed with me. Smiling as only a five year old can, she wraps her little arms around my neck and drops a kiss to my cheek. "I love you, Damon," she whispers.

Speechless, I lift my shaky hands and wrap them around her reveling in how it feels to be loved for the first time in as long as I can remember.

* * *

"Damon, it's Christmas in a couple of weeks. Do you want to go with us to pick a Christmas tree?" my dad asks when he pokes his head through my bedroom door. Without looking up, I shake my head no. Christmas is just another day on the calendar for me. The only 'presents' I ever got were beatings.

"Are you sure? We usually go into the forest and chop one down. You used to enjoy it when you were little," he says, his voice trailing.

"I'm not him anymore," I say, not looking up at him.

"Damon?"

"It's not your fault okay," I utter, turning away. When he finally catches on that I don't want to talk, he leaves, pulling the door closed behind him. Getting up, I look out of my window just in time to see them backing out of the driveway, all of four of them. Taking advantage of this rare moment of solitude, I decide to explore the house a little bit. I 'sneak' into my parent's bedroom to look around. Again I see several pictures of the four of them together as well as individual pictures of Stefan and Caroline.

Since no one is home, I can let my tears fall when I don't see any of me. Why would they give Caroline one and not have one for themselves? She was born several years after I was taken. I don't understand. Through tear filled eyes, I look around once more and that's when I see a big picture of me sitting atop one of their bedside stands. Exhaling a deep breath that I didn't know I was holding, I realize that I'm relieved to know that they didn't forget me. Pulling the door closed, I decide to look at Stefan's room too.

There really isn't much out of the ordinary in his room at first glance. My breath hitches when I see a picture of me pinned to the wall with a knife. Does he hate me so much that he wants me dead? In the distant reaches of my mind, I vaguely remember playing with him. Squeezing my eyes tightly, I try to swallow down the lump in my throat but I can't so I quickly run out of his room, pulling the door shut behind me.

With much effort, I drag my feet one after the other to go back to my room. I'm not a part of this family anymore. I wish I had stayed with the Parkers. At least I knew what to expect with them. And even though they were both brutal, a part of me wants to believe they cared at least a little bit. When I get back to my room, I drop onto my bed. After placing my elbows on my knees, I drop my head into my hands as I try to find a moment of peace.

Running away crosses my mind but where would I go? As much as I'd like to, I can't run to Chris and Amanda. They would just bring me back here. My thoughts are disrupted when I hear a knock on the door. Curious, I take a look out of my window to see if I can see who's at the door. Since I can't, I drop my shoulders and walk downstairs to see who it is.

"The Salvatore's aren't home," I say aloud as I pull open the door.

"You're here and you're a Salvatore," Elena says, teasing me.

"Um.. Hi Elena. Stefan isn't here."

"I didn't come to see Stefan. I came to see you."

"Me?"

"Yeah," she says, stepping around me and into the house. My nerves are alight in her presence.

"What did you want with me?" I ask hesitantly, curious as to why she's here.

"I thought maybe you'd want to do something. I don't know. We can drive around and look at Christmas lights if you want. Or we could watch TV, maybe play a board game? What would you like to do?"

"I... I.. um, Elena, I don't know."

"Well, since you're not the talkative type, why don't we drive around and look at the lights. Are they going to be home soon?" she asks, alluding to my family.

"I suppose since it's getting dark. They went to chop down a tree."

"You didn't want to go along?"

"No, my mom and dad didn't celebrate Chr...," I stop realizing that I once again called ' _them_ ' my parents.

"You don't have to be ashamed Damon. You grew up thinking they were your parents right?" I can't tell her that it was beaten into me so I just bob my head up and down.

"Why don't you go get your coat and I'll leave a note for Joe and Millie so they won't worry."

"Okay." After staring at her for a few seconds, I jog up the stairs to grab my parka.

"Are you ready?" she asks when I come back downstairs. When I nod uneasily, she opens the door and gestures for me to go outside. She's so kind and so pretty but my body is searing hot with tension when I'm with her. It feels raw, like I've been splayed wide open for all the world to see. As hard as it is, I try to swallow back my fears. Hesitantly I continue to follow her. Brrrr, It's cold so I wrap my coat around me tightly. Once we get across the street to her house, Mr. Saltzman steps outside.

"Hello Damon."

"Hi," I answer softly.

"I'm going to drive him around to look at Christmas lights. I left a note for his parents. Can I borrow the car for a little while, Ric?

"Sure, my keys are on the hook."

"Thanks Ric," she says, stepping into the house. "I'll be right back, Damon."

"How is it going, Damon?" he asks, sounding sincere.

Feeling uneasy and anxious and wishing to high heaven that I hadn't agreed to go with her I look at my feet and shrug my shoulders uneasily. Just as he opens his mouth to say something, Elena walks back outside, keys in hand. "You ready to go?" she asks, smiling.

"I guess," I tell her, crawling into the passenger seat. I give Mr. Saltzman one last look just as Elena pulls out of their driveway. Trying to mask my anxiety, I stare straight ahead. With my hands fisting in my pockets, I shudder when chill bumps erupt on my body. I silently count the minutes till Elena takes me back to 'their' house. When she cautiously reaches over to touch my hand, I look at her hand touching me and then to her eyes. A feeling of panic envelopes me when I start to hyperventilate. Completely terrified, I jump out of the moving car and run to the sidewalk. As I continue to hyperventilate, a sense of numbness invades my traitorous body. Feeling lightheaded, my knees give out causing me to collapse in a heap on the cold, snow covered sidewalk.

* * *

 _I have to leave for work in 20 minutes but I did promise you an extra chapter if enough of you reviewed so here it is. I do hope you'll continue to review this and let me know your thoughts. Thank you Eva and all of you for your support with this story. Damon needs a lot of love and support. Just try to picture yourself in his shoes. Ten years since he's had any semblance of a normal life. Most of his formative years were spent with his captors._

 _Please give 'Shatter Me' a look and 'Nothing Else Matters'. I have several one shots in my profile as well as a few other multi-chapter stories if you're interested. My very good friends, Florencia7 has updated 'Let There Be Light'. No one writes DE like she does. And Morvamp posted the final chapter of 'Claiming Hearts and Spaces'. Do give them a read too. I hope you all have a lovely evening and a wonderful Tuesday for those of you who live across the pond. But I have lives to save so I have to go. *Reviews are Love*_


	7. Book of Days

_I was so excited to post the first chapter of this story, I forgot the credits. Initially the inspiration came from the title itself. It's a song by 'All That Remains'. Also the way Damon was initially returned to the Salvatore's was inspired by a young man named Steven Stayner. That's where the similarity between Damon's story and Steven's story ends. His life was very tragic, ending at age 24 when he was killed by a hit and run driver. I can assure you that Damon is not going to die._

* * *

"Hello," my mother says as we step into Dr. Mikaelson's office. "My son has an appointment with the Dr."

"Name?"

"Damon Salvatore," she replies, smiling at me tensely.

"Please have a seat. The doctor will see you shortly," the receptionist answers smiling, finally raising her eyes to my mother. We sit in the waiting area thumbing through years old magazines while we wait to be called into his office. My nerves are frayed. My belly is churning with anxiety as I try to swallow back the bile. Every time I glance at the clock it seems like only a few seconds have passed. Just as I'm about ready to get up and start pacing, the lady informs us that Dr. Mikaelson is ready to see us. Standing shakily, I raise my eyes to see that my mother is staring back at me.

"Are you ready, Damon?" she asks, her voice kind.

"Not really but I don't have much choice in the matter."

"Damon?"

"It's okay Mrs... I mean mom.. I'm sorry. It seems I'm always screwing things up," I whisper, unable to look at her any longer.

"Damon, it's alright."

"No, it's not," I whisper, my voice full of remorse.

"The doctor is waiting," the receptionist interrupts us to say. Nodding our heads, we follow her into his office.

"Please have a seat," he says, gesturing for us to sit down. He walks around to the front of his desk offering his hand for us to shake. Hesitantly I do just that. "How may I help you?" he asks.

"Dr. Mikaelson, this is my son, Damon. I don't know if you're familiar with his story or not? He was kidnapped when he was six years old. The police as well as most of our family and friends believed him to be dead. I know this sounds morbid...," she says, fingering her hair.

"But as long as no body was found, a part of me always refused to give up that last smidgen of hope. By some miracle, he's back with us." Looking at me, she continues, "Damon is having a hard time of it. He hasn't said much about his life with the people that took him from us. I can tell you that he has terrible nightmares and he flinches when he's touched. I just hope you can help him," she explains to him.

"How are your other family members coping?" he asks.

"My other son, Stefan, has taken to acting out too. Maybe because he didn't have anyone to vie for attention with for so long but he's said some really hurtful things to Damon. Our daughter Caroline is five. She, on the other hand is completely smitten with him," she finishes with her hands knotting in her lap. I can't help the smile that forms on my face when she admitted that Caroline is smitten with me. Truth be told, I'm pretty fond of that little girl myself. She reminds me of Michael.

"Perhaps you'd consider family counseling in addition to Damon's individual counseling sessions?"

"I would need to talk to my husband but I do think that's not a bad idea. The police officer that brought him home to us," she looks over at me for a few seconds then turns her attention back to the doctor. "Damon has bonded with him for lack of a better word. I think it's great that he has someone to open up to but a part of me is jealous because I'd like to have that sense of closeness with him again." Reaching into her purse, she grabs a Kleenex and uses it to prick at her eyes.

"Mom," I whisper, feeling about an inch tall.

"Mrs. Salvatore, I'd like to speak with Damon alone now. You can either wait outside in my waiting room or come back to pick him up in about forty five minutes to an hour," he tells her, standing up to walk her to the door.

"I'll just wait for him. Thank you, Dr." She gives my shoulder a squeeze then steps out of his office. I watch mom walk out of the door. Once again I can feel my gut doing somersaults at the thought of being alone with this man. I rub my clammy palms on my jeans more out of nervousness than anything else. When I look up, I see him staring at me with an expression that I can't make out. After expelling a deep breath, I bite on my lower lip when I hear the door close behind me.

* * *

"Try to relax, Damon."

Looking up at him, I nod in understanding.

"How do you feel about being back with your real family?"

"It's so hard to explain. They, the Parkers, were my parents, I spent the last ten years believing them to be my family. When dad stole another child, I just couldn't let him get away with hurting him..., I mean taking Michael from his parents," I tell him.

"Did those people hurt you Damon?" he asks, staring intently at me.

Nervously, I stare back at him. "Um...um.. they disciplined me."

"Why did you need to be disciplined?"

"I... I.. I was bad," I tell him, panic surging through me.

"Why and how were you bad?"

Feeling boxed in I look all around the room, everywhere but at him. Almost frenzied, I gaze down at my knotted, clammy hands, "Well, I... I don't know. They told me I was bad."

"I want you to relax okay? We'll talk about this more later. Your mom mentioned that you're having nightmares?"

"You won't tell them will you? You're not supposed to tell them what I say right?" I blurt out, hoping that I can learn to trust this man.

"You're correct. What you tell me will be held in the strictest confidence. I'm here to help you Damon. Trust is the first step in the equation."

Nodding, I turn my eyes down to my lap again.

"What are your nightmares about?"

"Uh, they're about when they would... when they would.. beat me," I say, whispering the last two words, too ashamed to say them out loud.

"Damon, you don't have to feel embarrassed. You were just a child. Is brutality all that you knew with them or were they kind to you too? Were you ever violated in a sexual manner?"

"No, never," I tell him, shaking my head back and forth forcefully.

"They were never really kind to me. They beat me but they never molested me or touched me down there," I utter softly, looking at my groin before finally making eye contact with him.

"You're sure?"

"Yes," I reply adamantly, knowing it's the truth.

"I swear that they didn't cross that line."

"Calm down, I believe you," he tells me and I can see that he does.

"Have you told your parents about the beatings?"

"No, I.. I can't. They just feel sorry for me. I don't want their pity! You can't know what it's like to see those looks on their faces all the time. Like they feel sorry for me and poor, poor Damon. Stefan already hates me for coming back. Why should I give him any more ammunition?" I ask, my voice rising in anger.

"Have you hallucinated at all?"

"I guess. I was at the park with my little sister. She had to go to the bathroom and I was sure I saw a suspicious looking lady walk in after them. Elena, a girl from across the street, was with her. She said no one came into the bathroom."

"I'm going to prescribe some medication to help you sleep, Damon. Will you take the pills?"

"They'll help me sleep?"

"Yes, among other things. They should also help with your hallucinations as well."

"Okay, I'll take them if they're to help me sleep."

"I'm going to invite your mother back in. I'll explain that the purpose of the medication is to help lessen your nightmares so you can sleep." All I can do is nod my head. Standing up, he walks to his office door and asks my mother to step back inside.

"Mrs. Salvatore, I'm going to give you a prescription for a medication. It should help him sleep. He said he would take them," he informs her, eyeing me.

"Thank you Dr. Mikaelson. How should he take them?"

"I want him to take one every night. I'd like to see him again next week."

She nods appreciatively. "Come Damon, we need to get home now."

"I'll walk you out," he tells us.

"Mary, please set up some weekly appointments for Damon," he tells his receptionist.

"I will see you next week," he says to me, staring pointedly.

Nodding, I just stare as he walks back into his office.

* * *

I look up when I hear a knock on my bedroom door. "Damon?"

"Hi Caroline. Did you want something?"

"Mama says it's time to decorate the Christmas tree. Will you come downstairs?"

"I don't know how," I tell her trying not to hurt her feelings.

"Everybody knows how to decorate a Christmas tree," she tells me, turning her pretty blue eyes on me.

"Caroline, I never had Christmas where I used to live. The people I was with didn't believe in presents and pretty trees and stuff."

"Please Damon. I want you to help me," she wheedles, teetering from one foot to the other.

Finding myself unable to say no to her, I nod then stand up. Quickly she grabs onto my hand and practically pulls me down the stairs to where the rest of the family is.

"I'm so glad you decided to join us, Damon," mom says, smiling at me.

"Um, I'll just sit down," I say, gesturing to the couch.

"Feel free to put some ornaments on the tree. And Damon, I'm glad you came downstairs too," dad adds. I feel a chill run down my spine when I look over at Stefan only to see him glaring at me like I'm nothing more than a bug that he'd like to squash with his boot. I'm jostled from my reverie when Caroline comes to sit beside me on the couch.

"Damon will you help me put this one up by the star?" she asks.

Bobbing my head up and down, I lift her into my arms and walk over to the tree. She reaches up with her little arms and puts it in just the right spot. "That's the perfect spot for it," I whisper in her ear. When I put her down, she grabs another ornament, pointing to where she wants me to hang it.

Once the tree is decorated, Caroline pulls me into the kitchen to have hot chocolate with everyone. We sit around the table. Mom asks Caroline what she wants for Christmas. Of course as with any five year old, she prattles along for quite awhile. Stefan doesn't say much, he just stares at me on and off. Sensing it's my turn, I'm at a loss for words.

"I don't even remember the last time I had a Christmas. Um, I don't know what to ask for," I tell them, my voice anxious as I reach up to wipe a bit of perspiration from my brow. When I look up to see all of them staring at me dumbfounded, my nerves light up like a lit firecracker. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed," I tell them, then leap out of my chair and run up the stairs.

* * *

"Mr. Salvatore, what year did the Titanic sink?" Mr. Tanner asks me condescendingly. Given my age, I should be two grades ahead of Stefan and Elena but because of the way I was taught at home, I'm not proficient enough to be where I'm supposed to be.

"Um.. 1912," I ask, not sure if I'm right or not. I did read my history assignment. For some reason Mr. Tanner can be added to the long list of people who either dislike me or downright hate me. My brother is at the top of that list.

"What year did the stock market crash?"

"I don't know," I utter.

"Oh come on. Everybody knows that," he scoffs, clearly enjoying seeing me squirm.

Elena leans in so she's close to me, whispering, "Don't let him bother you. He's a jerk to everybody who's new."

"Miss Gilbert, that will be enough," he chastises her. She turns in her desk to face the front of the class.

"Mr. Salvatore, what year were Bonnie and Clyde killed?" he asks, snickering at me.

"I don't know that sir," I answer, my voice low, shrouded in embarrassment. Just as he's about to say something to humiliate me some more, the bell rings signaling the end of class.

* * *

As I'm walking back to my locker, Elena steps in beside me. "Really Damon, Tanner is an ass to everybody. If he thinks he can exploit a weakness, he will. Don't give him the satisfaction, okay?"

"Easier said," I utter, looking down at my feet as we walk along. When I hear her gasp, I look up to see the 'art work' someone has taped on my locker. It's a drawing of a big kid sitting on a potty chair with a dirty diaper laying on the floor. The words in the speech bubble are, 'What's a girl?' and the other speech bubble says, 'I'm an idiot'. With shaky hands, I reach up to pull the poster down. Everyone around me is laughing hysterically except for Elena. Suddenly it feels like the walls are closing in on me and I can't breathe.

"Damon, wait," she yells but I'm running on adrenaline now and I can't. As quickly as I can, I shove my way through the crowd and run out of the door. Once I'm a considerable distance away, I relax for a minute to take a few deep breaths. Knowing I can't go back to school, at least not today, I slowly walk home. Even though I feel so alone here, I don't want to worry mom and dad by disappearing. By the time I reach my house, my breath hitches when I see Chris and Amanda just about to ring the doorbell.

"Chris," I yell as I pick up speed, running to them as fast I can. When I reach them, Amanda pulls me into her arms, caressing me lovingly.

"I missed you Damon," she says softly, the smile never leaving her lips.

"It's so good to see both of you." Although touches make me feel uneasy, I still hang on for a long moment, reveling in the way it feels.

"I want a turn," Chris teases. Pulling back from Amanda, he wraps his arms around me for a few seconds. When I start to twitch ever so lightly, he lets loose.

"How are you?" he asks, squeezing my shoulder.

"Good, now that you're here," I answer him truthfully. Just as I'm about to talk some more to Chris, my mother opens the door.

"Um mom, This is Chris's wife, Amanda."

"Hello Mrs. Salvatore. Thank you for inviting us," Amanda says to her kindly.

"I think you being here is probably the best Christmas gift that we could give to Damon. Thank you for coming."

"Thank you again, Mrs. Salvatore," Chris says, reaching up, he presses his hand against my back, urging me inside. As I'm about to do just that, I happen to notice Elena staring at us from across the street.

"I'll be right in, mom. I have something I want to say to Elena." With one last look at Chris, I run across the street.

"Um, I just wanted to thank you. I'm sorry I couldn't stop, I just had to get out of there," I tell her, looking down as I kick my feet at the snow piled up on the grass.

"No worries. I understand." Extending her hands, giving me the choice as to whether to grab on or not, I hesitantly raise my eyes to hers. When she smiles at me, I extend my hands, shakily offering them to her. Lacing our fingers together, she leans over, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"You go spend some time with your friends," she says smiling as she lets go. Whether consciously or not, I can't help the smile that forms on my lips from her kiss.

"Bye Elena," I whisper before turning around to walk back across the street, a sense of something nice fills my insides for the first time in a very, very long time.

* * *

 _A big thank you to Eva. I can't wait till you come back from your holiday. THANK YOU to all of you so much for your support and the fabulous reviews you've written. They really mean the world to me and inspire me to keep writing DE stories. The final chapter of 'Nothing Else Matters' will be posting this weekend :( . 'Shatter Me' will also update. Please do give them a look._

 _I hope you all have a safe and wonderful weekend. I can't wait till I finish writing 'The Unforgiven' because I'm anxious to share it with you. Damon's profession in it is something I thought about too when I was much... younger. *Reviews Are Love*._


	8. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

"I'm really glad you're here Chris," I tell him when the two of us step into my room upstairs. Amanda took off with my mother hoping to get better acquainted with her.

"How are you really, Damon?" he asks.

"I started counseling."

"How did that go?"

"Not too bad I guess. He told me that whatever I tell him will be kept confidential unless of course, I give him permission to share. I like him so far but then again, I've only had one session. Really Chris, I think I need to spend more time with him to decide whether I like him or not."

"I hope things work out but remember, if he doesn't, there are others. I really want you to be able to put some of this behind you...," he starts to say. When I open my mouth to rebut him, he uses his hands to motion for me to shush for a second.

"As I was saying, I know full well that parts of your past will always stay with you. However, I want you to have a happy life going forward."

"I want that too Chris. But my little brother hates me. My parents are so afraid of upsetting me that they dance around me as if they're walking on egg shells. The only one who really treats me as a person and not an anomaly is Caroline," I explain, turning to look out of the window, hoping to get another glimpse of Elena.

"What about that girl from across the street?" he asks.

"You mean Elena? Yeah, she's been really kind to me too. She doesn't treat me like a porcelain doll either. I like being around her. I don't know, It feels good to be with her but a part of me is terrified. I have no experience with girls, Chris," I tell him, dropping onto the bed beside him.

"What?" I ask when I see a hint of a smirk on his face.

"I understand completely Damon. Amanda was my childhood sweetheart. It's just that she never knew that. I didn't work up the courage to ask her out till we were in high school. We laugh about it now but you don't know how many times I talked myself out of asking her for a date. Finally the day came that I actually went through with it. You know what her first response was?"

"No," I reply with a chuckle.

"She looked at me all serious like then she says to me, "It took you long enough!"

Unable to hold it back, I break out in laughter. "So do you have any advice about girls?"

"Now that's a sound I like to hear, laughter," he says, smiling at me. "But Damon, you have so much on your plate right now. I think first and foremost, you have to focus on yourself. You've been through so much, more than most people experience in a lifetime and yet somehow you survived it all. You need to heal and then just take it one day at a time," he tells me, giving me a gentle pat on top of my leg.

"I think it's wonderful that you've made friends with Elena. And if eventually you're interested in more with her, I'll be in your corner every step of the way. But for now, just take it one day at a time and focus on yourself. Okay?"

Nodding, I turn to look at him. "Thanks Chris. I do really like her but I'm so afraid you know?"

"There's nothing to be afraid of Damon. Just be yourself. You're really a great kid. I know you have a hard time believing that but it's true."

Somehow I manage to keep my tears at bay, whispering, "Thanks Chris."

* * *

"Class, This is the last school day till after the new year. Perhaps we can have the stoic Mr. Salvatore entertain us with more of his brilliance...," Mr. Tanner says, again mocking me in front of the whole class.

"When was the Battle of Gettysburg?"

"July first through the third in 1863," I answer him.

"And when was the Gettysburg Address delivered?"

"Um.. November nineteenth, 1863," I say right back to him.

"When was Lincoln assassinated?" he asks, raising his eyebrows mockingly to the rest of the class.

"That was on Good Friday of 1865."

"Very good Mr. Salvatore. You've been hitting the books," he utters, rounding on me.

"And lastly, what did John Wilkes Booth say on stage when he made his getaway?"

"I don't know," I utter quietly. As if I'm nothing more than a flea to flick off of his jacket, he starts laughing at me.

"See class, he's not so smart now is he? Tell him Stefan, what did Booth say?"

"Sic Semper Tyrannis," Stefan replies, smirking at me triumphantly. Not knowing what to do, I just turn my head away from him and stare straight ahead. By the time Tanner is through humiliating me yet again, the bell rings. Exhaling sharply, I stand up, grab my things and start to walk towards the door. The next thing I know, I'm crashing face first to the floor, having tripped over someone's foot. As I start to sit up, I feel something running down my mouth. When I reach up, I realize my nose is bleeding.

"Oh I'm sorry, Mr. Salvatore. I didn't mean to do that," Tanner sneers sarcastically.

Unwilling to give him anymore satisfaction, I pinch my nose closed, grab my things and walk out of the door towards the bathroom.

"Damon, wait," I hear Elena calling for me.

"You should report him, Damon. He did that on purpose."

"Yeah, like they'll believe me," I tell her, rolling my eyes in exasperation.

"I'll go with you. I saw him stick his foot out."

Turning to look into her eyes, I reply, "And give everyone more reasons to humiliate me. No thanks."

"Damon?"

Shaking my head no, I give her one last look before stepping into the bathroom.

* * *

I'm startled awake by a boisterous Caroline, jumping up and down on my bed yelling, "Damon, wake up!"

"Wha.. what's going on?" I utter, still half asleep.

"It's Christmas morning. Santa Claus was here," she screeches. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I look at the clock on my bedside stand.

"Caroline, it's only eight thirty. I'm still tired," I yawn. Although the sleeping pills Dr. Mikaelson gave me do help keep my nightmares at bay, I feel so fatigued most of the time. And they have helped me sleep better but some mornings I feel almost hung over from the effects of it, making it hard to wake up.

"But it's Christmas," she blubbers, tears forming in her eyes.

"Okay Caroline, I'll get up," I tell her in surrender. Dragging myself out of bed, I grab my bathrobe and slippers, pausing long enough to put them on. Caroline grabs my hand, practically manhandling me to go downstairs with her. When we get there, everyone is awake and seemingly waiting for the two of us.

"Merry Christmas, Damon," my mom greets me, jumping up to give me a hug. Internally anxious, I swallow down my discomfort as I reach around to hug her back. Once she releases me, my dad wraps his arm around my shoulder, giving me a guy hug.

"Merry Christmas Son. All my wishes were answered the day you stepped back through that door. I love you son," he tells me.

"I...I.. thanks dad." I whisper, hating myself for not being able to say it back. They're my parents, my family, I'm supposed to love them right? But I just don't know them yet. Sometimes I still feel like I'm a stranger in a strange land, especially in a land where my brother hates my guts.

Understanding dawns on his face. He smiles at me, "It's okay, Damon. Your mom and I do understand."

"Thank you," I reply, barely above a whisper.

"Why don't you take a seat. Santa left some presents for you too."

"I didn't get you anything. I'm sorry, I just haven't been a part of anything like this for as long as I can remember," I reply, my eyes frantic as I look at both of my parents. When I happen to glance at Stefan, his disgust with me is tangible.

 _"Will I get a present for Christmas?" I ask._

 _"Why would I get you anything for Christmas?" she scoffs, backhanding me._

 _"Christmas is for good little boys and girls. You're a bad, bad boy, Danny," she yells, taking a long drag from her cigarette before blowing the smoke in my face._

 _"I'm not bad," I say, my voice shaky. She starts laughing hysterically. Turning her back to me for a moment, she clutches the edge of the sink till her knuckles are white. When she turns back around I can see how angry she is. Knowing what's coming, I raise my hands to protect my face just as she starts pummeling me with her fists._

"Damon?"

When I hear dad say my name, I'm snapped out of my reverie. Shaking off that memory, "I can go back upstairs if you prefer," I utter, looking down at my feet.

"You'll do no such thing. You're as much a part of the family as everyone else," my dad states emphatically.

"Let's get started," Mom says, handing me a box.

"But I didn't get you anything?" I protest.

"Damon, just having you home is present enough for all of us," she adds, reaching up to wipe a tear from the corner of her eyes. Standing up, she press a kiss to the crown of my head. "I'm so happy to have you home," she whispers softly. "Now here, open it."

"Thanks mom." Our eyes meet for a long moment before I sit down beside Caroline on the couch. Taking in a breath to calm myself, I open it up slowly as it's the first present I've had for as long as I can remember. I'm stunned when I open it up to find a lap top computer.

"This is too much," I whisper in shock.

"We, I mean your dad and I thought maybe you could Skype with your friend, Chris. And you can use it for homework and stuff."

"Skype?"

"Dad can show you how."

"I don't know how to thank you," I tell them, barely able to speak.

"Damon, I got something for you too," Caroline says, handing me a small box.

"Thank you Caroline. I.. I don't have anything for you, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay Damon," she says but I can tell she's disappointed.

"That's not true Damon. Caroline, look under the tree. There's a present for you from Damon," mom tells her, winking at me.

"Here it is," she squeals then comes to sit down beside me on the couch so we can open our gifts together. I'm stunned speechless when I see what she gave me. It's a picture of Caroline and me when we were in the park. We're just sitting side by side on the park bench. She's leaning against my arm and I actually have a smile on my face as I'm looking down at her.

"Thank you, Caroline. It's truly the best present I've ever gotten," I tell her, reaching up to pinch the bridge of my nose hoping to trap the tears that are threatening to escape.

"Elena helped me with it. She took the picture. I got one too," she tells me. "You wanna see?"

"Sure," I tell her. Quick as a flash, she jumps up and runs upstairs. In no time at all, she's handing me her copy of the same picture.

"Elena helped you?"

"Ah ha," she says, smiling at the picture. Tentatively, I reach over, wrapping an arm around her. "Thank you again, Caroline. I really love it," I whisper, giving her a squeeze as she rips the paper off of the present that 'I' gave her.

"It's a Barbie, mama," she yells excitedly. Reaching up, she wraps her little arms around my neck. Although I try not to tense up, I can't stop it. Inhaling a deep breath, I hold it till she lets go. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Stefan snickering at my obvious discomfort.

"Stefan, that's enough," my dad says, chastising him. Finally after everyone is done opening their presents, Caroline puts ' _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'_ in the DVD player. She again parks herself beside me on the couch while she takes turns changing her Barbie doll's clothes.

"Isn't she pretty, Damon?" she asks, practically shoving the doll in my face.

"Very pretty, just like you," I whisper, smiling at her.

"Mama, Damon says I'm pretty," she squeaks.

Mom is sitting on the other side of Caroline. She nods, smiling at me before turning her eyes to Caroline's, "That's because you are pretty, little girl." Once Rudolph is over, Mom gets up to check on the turkey and start getting the rest of our Christmas meal together.

"Do you need any help?" I ask, following her into the kitchen.

"No sweetheart. You just enjoy yourself. That was really nice of Chris and Amanda to remember you."

"It really was. I wish I could've gotten something for them."

"We'll get them something. Don't worry about it okay?"

Staring at her, I nod when my attention is interrupted by Caroline pulling on my sleeve. "Come play this game with me, Damon."

Once we finish playing her game, I excuse myself to go to take a nap. The medication does make me feel so tired and I did get up early this morning at Caroline's insistence.

"Damon, one of us will come to get you when supper is ready," my mom tells me as I walk up the stairs. Once I get to my room, I collapse onto my bed, falling asleep in mere minutes.

* * *

Chris and Amanda gave me an I pad for Christmas. I want to get them something too but Mom told me to wait till after Christmas when the sales were going on. I have no idea what to give them though. Chris quite literally saved my life. He didn't have to take me into his home but he did. I'll be forever grateful to the two of them.

Caroline and I are walking to the McDonalds in town. I promised her a happy meal. In turn she promised she'd help me find a present for my friends. Once we get to McDonald's, we place our orders then sit down with our food in hand. Just as I'm about to take a bite out of my Big Mac, I see Elena and some guy walk over to our booth.

"Hi Elena," Caroline mumbles, her mouth full of french fries.

"Hi Caroline, Damon," she says, smiling.

Covering my mouth with my hand, I tell her hello.

"Hi Jeremy," Caroline says with a smile.

"Well hello Caroline. How are you?"

"I'm good. This is my big brother," she tells him, pointing at me.

"Damon, this is my brother Jeremy," Elena interjects.

"It's nice meeting you," he says, extending his hand.

"You too," I utter, staring at our joined hands. When he releases me, I pull my hand back quickly.

"Sit with us, Elena," Caroline demands.

Turning to look at me, Elena asks, "Is that okay, Damon?"

"Yeah, absolutely," I utter sliding over in the booth when she starts to sit down.

"I need to thank you for helping Care with my Christmas gift. It means a lot to me," I tell her sincerely.

"All I did was print a couple of pictures to frame. It was Caroline's idea."

"Well, thank you for helping her anyway."

"You're very welcome."

"So Damon, how does it feel to be back in Mystic Falls?" Jeremy asks.

"It's different," I tell him, staring off into space for a moment.

"I miss my friend, Chris. It's an adjustment but I guess I'm glad to be back here," _where I don't get beaten nearly every day_ , I think to myself.

"I have an appointment with Dr. Mikaelson, could you make sure Elena gets home safely?" he asks, looking at his watch.

Raising my eyes at the mention of Dr. Mikaelson's name, I reply, "Um, sure. She can walk with me and Caroline."

"Thanks. Bye sis, I'll see you at home," he tells her then walks away.

"I didn't know you had a brother?"

"Well I didn't know much about you till you came home either. I mean I saw the pictures of the little you but Stefan never said anything about them. I had no idea for the longest time that he had a brother. Finally one day, I got my nerve up and asked your mom who you were."

Looking down, I shake my head ever so slightly. "He doesn't seem to like me very much."

"I have noticed that he's acting out too. I have no idea what's up with him but I'm sure he doesn't hate you Damon. He's just not used to having a brother. Hopefully it's just a phase he's going through," she says, taking a bite of her own food.

After we finish eating, we walk back to our house. "Can you come in and see the presents I got, Elena?" Caroline asks excitedly.

"Sure," she tells her.

I pull open the front door and hold it so Caroline and Elena can walk in. Caroline and Elena trudge up the stairs to her room while I settle in my own. Kicking off my shoes, I drop onto the bed, tired from my medicine. Maybe I'll ask Dr. Mikaelson if there's a smaller dose so I can take so I'm not so tired all the time. Just as I'm about to enter dreamland, I vaguely hear a knock on my door. My eyes are just too heavy so I roll onto my side, hoping sleep will come quickly.

"Damon?" I hear but it's like I'm in a tunnel, too far away to make out what's said to me. I'm just too tired to open my eyes, so I keep them closed. I hear my name once more and when I don't respond a second time, I feel a soft kiss pressed to the top of my head.

"Bye Damon," she whispers just as I drop all the way into the clouds, dreaming of that pretty brown-eyed girl who lives next door.

* * *

 _Thank you Eva. Thrilled to have you home. Thank you to all of you for your reviews, follows and favorites. I do appreciate them so much. Based on one of the reviews for chapter 7, I need to clarify their ages. Damon is currently 16, Elena is 15 and Stefan is 14. Elena is in the same grade as Stefan because she was held back after the accident that killed their parents. She just missed too much school to make up. Damon, because of his circumstances is in the same grade as Elena and Stefan._

 _"Shatter Me" will be updating tomorrow. If you haven't read, 'Nothing Else Matters', I posted the conclusion last weekend._

 _I hope you all have a phenomenal weekend. Stay safe and we'll see you next time... *Reviews are Love*_


	9. Breaking The Silence

"How are you, Damon?" Dr. Mikaelson asks me as I sit down.

"I'm okay, I guess."

"How are you sleeping?"

"The pills have helped with the nightmares but I'm so tired all the time. Can I take a smaller dose?"

"You can. Why don't you try taking half of a pill tonight and see how that works. But you have to tell me if that's not enough to control the bad dreams. Maybe we'll have to try something different if the smaller dose doesn't work. Will you do that?"

"Yes, I'll tell you if it doesn't work as well."

"How are things going with your family?"

"Aside from Stefan, they're decent, I guess. My parents are still handling me with kid gloves. I think they're afraid they might do something or say something that upsets me. I just want them to treat me normally though. I love my little sister. But my brother hates me and I have no idea why?"

"You say he hates you? What is it that he does to make you think that?"

"He has so much animosity towards me. He's always making snide, sometimes hateful remarks. When the kids bully me at school, he's right there with them. One of the teachers seems to take a perverse pleasure is making me squirm. Stefan just laughs right along with the rest of the class," I explain, shaking my head just slightly.

"I mean, I didn't do anything other than come home. I'm clueless as to why he literally hates me. We keep our distance from each other at home too. He never talks to me, he just stares with such revulsion in his eyes. I.. I'm at a loss."

"Well Damon, I think this is more of his issue than it is yours. It's something he's going to have to work through himself. Hopefully in time, he will. Do you know if your mother brought up the family counseling idea with your father?"

"I don't know if she did or not."

"About this teacher, have you told anyone, your parents maybe?"

"No."

"Why is that?"

"Well because, it'll just give him and the other kids more reasons to bully me." Dr. Mikaelson looks at me then starts writing something in the notebook that's sitting atop his desk.

"Are your nightmares gone completely or are you still having them?"

"I have some flashbacks if that makes sense? On Christmas day, when mom and dad were handing out gifts, I had a brief one. I've never had Christmas before, at least not that I can remember. I suppose we had them before I was taken. I remembered asking 'her' if I was getting a present. She told me I was bad and then started beating me."

"I believe you have 'Post Traumatic Stress Disorder'. That's completely understandable given what you've been through." When my mouth drops open, he tries to reassure me.

"Damon, that's nothing to be ashamed of. You've lived through horrific abuse at the hands of those people. The nightmares, hallucinations, flashbacks, they're all part of it. I'd be more worried about you if you didn't have any of the sequelae related to it."

"I don't know what to say," I utter, dumbfounded.

"I want you to try just taking half of one of those pills tonight. If they don't stave off the nightmares, we'll try something different or add something. But I need you to be honest with me okay? We have to be able to trust each other for this relationship to work."

"I promise," I reply, looking him in the eye.

"Good. Our time is up. I look forward to seeing you next week, Damon."

"Thank you Dr. Mikaelson, for everything."

"You're welcome. Come your dad is waiting for you." With that, he stands up to walk me out. My dad stands up when he sees us walking towards him. "Dad, this is Dr. Mikaelson."

"Hello. I'm Joe Salvatore," he says, extending his hand to shake with Elijah's.

"Before you leave Mr. Salvatore, I spoke to your wife about family counseling. Is that something maybe you'd consider?"

"You know, I hadn't thought about it but maybe it would be something to think about. My other son, Stefan, is having some issues with all of this."

"Give it some thought. It was nice meeting you," he says to dad before turning to his attention back to me. "I'll see you next week, Damon. Goodbye now."

* * *

"Are you hungry, Damon?" dad asks when we get back to the car.

"Yeah."

 _"I'm hungry mom. Please can I have something to eat?"_

 _"Why are you hungry, I let you eat yesterday morning? It's not like you're starving," she scoffs, flicking her cigarette ashes at me._

 _"But I'm hungry," I whine, rubbing my stomach._

 _"I'll give you a reason to rub your stomach," my dad yells, grabbing me by the neck and shoving me against the counter top, the hard edge digging into my ribs. When he pulls me away from the counter, he punches me in the gut with his closed fist._

 _"Now you have a reason to rub your belly," he sneers, shoving me so hard that I crash onto the floor, hitting my head. Unable to stand up because I feel dizzy, I just lay there till they walk out of the room._

"Damon?"

"Wh... what?"

"Are you okay?" dad asks.

Nodding, I look at him then slide into the passenger seat.

"What are you hungry for?"

"Anything is fine."

"How about if we go to the Grill. They make a mean burger," dad says, licking his lips.

"Sounds good."

* * *

"I guess I'll have the bacon cheeseburger with fries and a lemonade," I tell the waitress.

Smiling, she turns her attention to my dad. "And you Mr. Salvatore?" she asks, pen in hand.

"I'll have what my son is having. Thank you Vicky," he replies, handing her back our menus. When she walks away, dad turns to me.

"How are you, Damon? Really?" he asks, looking me in the eyes.

"I.. I don't know what you want me to say," I utter, not wanting to hurt his feelings but I feel edgy around my parents.

"I want you to tell me how you're feeling. How's school?" he asks, his concern seems genuine.

"I guess I'm doing okay. I still feel kind of out of place, you know?"

"That's understandable. We're still learning so much about each other," he says truthfully.

"Well, who do we have here?" Our thoughts are interrupted by my grandfather.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" my dad asks him.

"I came to get something to eat. Do you two mind if I join you?"

"No, of course not." dad replies. When he gives me a tentative look, I scoot over in the booth so he can sit beside me.

"How are you my boy?" he asks me.

"I'm okay, grandpa."

"And how are you sleeping? Your dad told me that you've been having terrible nightmares."

"Um, they're a little more infrequent since I started taking the medicine Dr. Mikaelson ordered for me."

"I'm glad to hear that." Reaching over, he places his hand atop mine for just a moment. "I'm so happy that you're back Damon. I've missed you." Not knowing what to say to him, I simply nod.

"Oh hi Mr. Salvatore, did you want to order something?" Vicky asks when she brings back our lemonades.

"Just give me whatever these two are having," he replies.

"Do you want lemonade too or something else to drink?"

"I'll just have a Coke."

"Coming right up," she replies then walks away.

"What are you two up to that I find you here?" Grandpa asks.

"Damon had his Dr. appointment and I wanted to spend a little time with my son before we go home."

Grandpa turns to look at me again. "Do you like your Dr.?"

"I do. I feel so fatigued all the time so he said I should try to take half of one of my pills tonight. They're supposed to help me sleep and they do but I don't like feeling so worn out all the time."

"That's understandable."

"Yeah," I reply not knowing what else to say. Fortunately Vicky returns with our food. After passing around the ketchup, we all dig in.

* * *

"Hey Damon?" I hear as I'm walking down the street. I just needed to catch a breath of fresh air and be by myself for a little while.

"Jeremy?"

"That's right. I go to college in Durham but I've been through some stuff too Damon. If you ever want to talk, I'm available to listen," he offers.

"Really?"

Nodding, "Let's go inside and have a soda. We can get to know each other a little bit."

"Okay." Although I'm a bit wary, for some reason I feel that I can trust him. Plus he is Elena's brother so I don't think he'd hurt me in any way. Once we order our drinks, we sit down at a table.

"Listen, Elena has told me a little bit about you. She says you're having kind of a rough go of it in school?"

"Sometimes," I agree.

"I lived through that myself, Damon. When my parents died, I pretty much lost it. I turned my back on everyone and everything. I dabbled in drugs and alcohol. The kids at school mocked and teased me unmercifully. I'm not lying when I tell you that I've been there."

"I didn't know that your parents died. I don't know what to say," I reply, feeling bad for him and Elena. "That's why you live with Mr. Saltzman?"

"It is. He's married to my mom's little sister. They took us in after the accident."

"It's good that you had someone," I utter, turning away.

"Elena and I were very fortunate in that respect. And how about you, Damon? What's your story?"

"Well, the people that took me raised me as their son. They weren't very nice to me most of the time."

"Not nice as in how? Did they abuse you?"

I look at him for a long moment then nod slightly. "Please don't tell Elena. I don't want her to feel sorry for me."

"I promise. Hopefully the day will come when you feel confident enough to share that with her."

"I hope so. How did you get yourself back together?"

"Elena found me with an empty bottle of pills. I wanted to die and I tried to kill myself. I thank God everyday that she found me in time though."

My mouth drops for a moment. Not wanting to stare at him, I drop my eyes. "Is that why you see Dr. Mikaelson?"

"You picked up on that did you?" he replies, smiling.

"He's the Dr. my parents picked for me," I acknowledge.

"He's a good guy and he's really helped me a lot. I still see him from time to time," he replies then looks at his wristwatch.

"I really need to go Damon. I have some errands to run. Did you need a ride home?"

"No, I'll walk but thanks for this. It was enlightening."

"You're welcome. Do you have a phone?"

Curious, I reach into my pocket and hand it to him.

"I'm just putting my number on your contact list in case you ever want to talk. Day or night, Damon," he says, handing it back to me.

"Thank you."

"Bye now," he says then takes off leaving me alone to contemplate all that I've learned about him and Elena.

* * *

"It's pretty out here isn't it?" Elena asks as we walk around the falls area. The snow is almost melted and the ice is beginning to break up. Elena asked me to go for a walk with her. I couldn't say no. Unfortunately Caroline has the flu so she couldn't come along to act as buffer for me today.

"It is very pretty here. I don't really remember this place but mom said that she and dad brought me out here a few times in the summer to wade in the water and stuff. When you called, I told her where we were going. She still worries about me when she can't see me."

"I guess that's understandable," Elena replies, looking out over the water.

"Yeah."

"Damon, as you know, there's a dance coming up at school. I was wondering if you'd go with me?"

"Me? You want to go with me?"

"Well, yes. I want to go with you," she says so plainly almost as if saying the sky is blue.

"I don't know. I've never been to a dance. I don't know how," I utter, almost in a panic.

"Damon, relax. You'll do fine. We don't even have to dance. We can just hang out, okay?"

Sucking in a deep breath, I look into those pretty eyes of hers. Against my better judgment, I agree. "Alright, I'll go with you."

"Thank you, Damon. We'll have a good time, I promise."

Slowly, she reaches over offering her hand. I stare at it for a long time before finally lacing my fingers with hers. I shiver a bit at the sparks that go through my body with her touch. Smiling, she gives my hand a squeeze. I glance down at our enjoined hands. After a moment, I return her smile and then we walk out of Falls park hand in hand, enjoying each other's company.

* * *

I look up when I hear a knock on my bedroom door. My mouth drops wide open when I see that it's Stefan. "Did you want something?" I ask, pulling my ear buds out so I can hear him.

"Yeah, I thought maybe we could do something?"

"You want to do something with me?" I ask in complete shock.

"Sure, why not?" he asks as if it's nothing out of the ordinary.

"Well.. well.. I don't know what to say."

Gesturing with his arm for me to follow him, he says, "Come on. Let's go shoot some hoops. Maybe dad will play too."

My mouth is still hanging open when I here him say, "Are you coming?"

"Sure," I utter then turn my I pad off and follow him downstairs, confused as to who 'this' Stefan is and what happened to the one that hates me.

* * *

 _Thank you Eva. I can't thank you all enough either for all of your reviews, follows, and favorites. I'm off now to see 'MI-5'. New 'Shatter Me' will come tomorrow. I'm am working on two stories so I apologize in advance if I don't find the time to respond to your reviews. Other than working full time, I'm pretty much always at the computer chugging away on these stories._

 _I hope you all have a safe and wonderful weekend. Thank you again for all of you support with this story. Until next week.. *REVIEWS ARE LOVE*..._


	10. It Is What It Is

Millie (Damon's mother)

Glancing at the clock, I see it's almost four in the afternoon already. The kids should be home from school soon. Damon promised me that he would stop by Caroline's school so he could walk her home. Just as I start to get things together to make a meatloaf, I hear the phone ring.

"Mrs. Salvatore, your son decided not to show up for class again today. He will be expelled if he keeps this up," Mr. Lockwood, the principal tells me over the phone.

"Why didn't you call me earlier? The school day is over now."

"I was out of the office at a district meeting. I'm just going over some of the notes on my desk before I go home for the day."

"I'm sorry Mr. Lockwood. I don't know what's gotten into Damon. I thought he was doing well and then all of sudden, he starts pulling this disappearing act. My husband and I will have a talk with him. Thank you for letting me know. Goodbye now," I tell him, hanging up the phone. Running my hand through my hair, I expel a breath wondering how Joe is going to react to this. I press my hands against the kitchen counter as I try to relax for a minute. My knuckles are starting to turn white when I finally hear the front door open and close.

"Mama," Caroline yells, running into the kitchen, followed by a sullen looking Damon.

"Hey baby. How was school?" I ask, pulling her into a hug.

"Good. We had show and tell. I showed Damon for show and tell." Raising my eyebrows, I look at Damon and then back at Caroline. "When was this?"

"Just before school was out. Can I have a cookie mama?"

"Sure," I tell her, reaching up to grab the cookie jar. "You run along now. I want to talk to Damon."

"Okay mama," she says, picking up her backpack and running out of the kitchen.

"Your principal just called. He said you missed school again. What's going on with you Damon?" My anger surges when I happen to notice him rolling his eyes.

"I don't like school. You don't know what it's like to have everybody treat you like a weirdo or a pervert or something."

"So the other kids are mean to you?"

"Yes," he says, turning away from me.

"Damon, you need to go to school so you can graduate."

"Fine, I'll go tomorrow. Can I be excused now?"

Sighing heavily, I rake my hand through my hair in frustration. "Yes, you can go to your room."

"Thanks," he utters then he walks out just as Stefan walks in.

"Stefan, what's going on with your brother?" I ask him.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you very well know that he's been ditching school."

"How come he can get away with that and I can't?"

"Do the other kids treat him badly?"

"Sometimes. But he doesn't have to be such a baby about it and run away all the time."

"What kind of things do they say to him?"

"He's a loner mom. He doesn't have any friends other than Elena. He keeps to himself. He doesn't even really try to make friends."

"Stefan, Damon isn't used to being around other people. He was kept pretty isolated from what I understand."

"Yeah, I know. Poor, poor little Damon...," he utters, reaching into the refrigerator to grab the carton of milk. After pouring himself a cup, he puts it away and grabs a few cookies.

"I'm going upstairs."

Nodding, I turn back to the countertop and start working on my meatloaf, taking my aggression out on the package of crackers I'm crushing to use in it.

* * *

"Joe, what are we going to do about Damon? We just can't allow him to keep skipping school. We'll have to hold him back another year if he doesn't get the credits he needs."

"I know Millie. I just don't know how to get through to him. Sometimes it's like I'm looking at a stranger and not my own son."

"You too? I'll admit, I feel the same way at times. Do you ever wonder what his life was like with those people? Sometimes I'm afraid to know because something spawned his nightmares. I mean, did they abuse him and if they did, where did they draw the line?"

"Oh Lord Millie, I don't even want to think about ' _that_ ' kind of abuse. But you're right, his nightmares came from somewhere. Maybe we should talk to Dr. Mikaelson about his behavior. Or maybe his friend, Detective Williams. Perhaps he could get through to him? Damon trusts him," Joe utters taking another sip from his coffee cup.

"I wish he trusted us the way he trusts Chris," I muse, staring at nothing in particular.

"Me too, sweetheart, me too," Joe replies, taking my hand in his.

* * *

"This is Detective Williams. How can I help you?"

"Hello Chris. This is Millie Salvatore. How are you?"

"Millie? What can I do for you?"

"It's Damon. I'm at wit's end. He's skipping school and coming home late. Joe and I are at a loss."

"When did all this start?"

"It's been going on for a few weeks now. We still feel like we have to walk around on eggshells with him. His birthday is coming up. He'll be seventeen soon. I suppose some acting out is to be expected but I'm so afraid. I don't trust him not to run away, Chris."

"I talked to him a week or so ago. He didn't mention anything but then again, I guess he wouldn't. When is his birthday?"

"April eighteenth is his birthday. School is out for the summer at the end of May. The school principal called the other day about his truancy."

"Amanda is visiting her parents and family in Idaho. I have the weekend off. I could drive down and try to talk to him if you'd like me to."

"Please do. We have to do something. Our son is a stranger to us, Chris. He never talks about what his life was like with the Parkers. I want to know yet a part of me is afraid to know."

"I'm glad you brought them up. Their trial has been scheduled. Damon will need to testify. I know when I mentioned that to him month's ago, it scared him. I'll talk to him about that this weekend too, okay?"

"Thank you Chris. I'll get the guest room ready so you can stay at the house with him."

"Alright. Listen, I need to get back to work. I'll see you this weekend. Bye now."

"Goodbye," I tell him, hanging up the phone.

* * *

Damon:

When I reach my locker this morning, I'm once again treated to nasty cartoons plastered to the front of it. Everyday it's the same thing and I'm sick of it. They trip me sending me sprawling in the dining area. Aside from Elena and her friend, Matt, they treat me like a leper. I hate this place. Reaching up, I tear the cartoons down, crumple them up and drop them in the waste basket.

I know I shouldn't be skipping class and staying out late. My life is such a mess. I know my parents haven't done anything wrong really. I've been home for a few months now but things between us are still so standoffish for lack of a better word. They're afraid to discipline me other than sending me to my room. I've been alone my whole life so that's not really punishment. If they loved me, wouldn't they care enough to really discipline me? I know they tell me they love me but they stopped trying to hug me. I know I tense up but a part of me liked it when they showed me they cared with more than words. Exhaling heavily, I shove my backpack in my locker.

After grabbing my books, I take my time going to Tanner's class. He's worse than the kids because he's an adult and should know better. Hesitantly, I walk into his classroom. When I look up after taking my seat, I see him smirking at me as usual.

"Well, well, well, decided not to skip today, Mr. Salvatore," he says with a ' _Grinch-like_ ' smirk on his face. Not willing to give him any satisfaction, I don't say anything.

"Class, the great Salvatore has decided to grace us with his presence today. I think we should all give him a round of applause," he taunts, clapping his hands vigorously. Shaking my head, I just keep my eyes focused on my text book.

"Ah, what's the matter Salvatore, you can't take a little teasing?" he says, pouting his lip at me. Just like that the classroom erupts with pretend baby crying. Taking a deep breath, I gather my things and walk out of the classroom.

"Damon, shouldn't you be in class?" Mr. Saltzman asks me.

"Shouldn't you?" I sneer back. "Look I'm sorry."

"Come on. Let's go into my classroom." Nodding, I follow him. "Tell me what happened."

"Tanner. Everyday he humiliates me in front of the class. I don't know what I ever did to him," I utter, my eyes downcast.

"Look, I know Tanner is a jackass but have you told anyone? Mr. Lockwood, your parents?"

"No. He'll just deny it. Why would Mr. Lockwood believe me over a teacher? The other kids all laugh at me too. They're not going to back up my story."

"Have you talked to your parents about this?"

"No," I reply, shaking my head back and forth.

"Why not?"

"I just can't talk to them."

"Would you like me to talk to them or maybe have a few words with Tanner?"

"What and have him humiliate me all the more about running to tattle on him?"

"If you don't want to do anything, don't give Tanner the satisfaction of getting a rise out of you. I want you to tell me if he doesn't quit though because I will say something. The guy has no business being a teacher."

"Thanks Mr. Saltzman."

"You can call me Ric. Just not in front of the other kids. Okay?"

Nodding, I take a seat and open up my history book, looking up only when Ric walks out of the room.

* * *

Hearing Elena's voice, "Damon, wait up," I stop and turn around just as she catches up to me.

"Hi," she says, her voice breathy from running.

"Hey."

"You left Tanner's class again. Damon, you can't keep doing that. You're just giving him more ammunition to harass you with."

"Would you put up with his bullshit?"

"No, I guess not."

"I rest my case."

"Damon, don't be that way." she says, her eyes downcast.

"I'm sorry Elena."

"I forgive you. The dance is coming up next week. We'll have a good time," she says, smiling at me.

"You still want to go with me?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know, maybe because everybody hates me."

"Well I don't hate you and it's their loss not yours."

"Thanks Elena."

We stop when we hear someone calling us. "Hey you two, what's shaking?"

"Hi Matt. We're just walking home," Elena tells him.

"Can I walk along? You walk right past my house."

"Absolutely Matt," Elena tells him while looking at me. I can't not smile when I'm with her so I find myself smiling back at her. After Matt leaves us to go into his house, Elena gives me a look then entwines her fingers with mine. Her touch no longer makes me cringe. I actually enjoy it when she touches me. She makes me feel 'normal'. Once we get to her house, she invites me in so we go into her bedroom. I look around as it's the first time I've been in her room.

There are pictures all over and girly things. Staring at the picture on her dresser top, "Are they your parents?" I ask, pointing to one of the pictures.

"Yes."

"How old were you when they died?"

"I was twelve, Jeremy was fifteen. Aunt Jenna and Ric took us in. I don't know what would've happened without her. We don't have any other family and as such we would've ended up in foster care if not for them."

"You're very lucky in that way," I utter, smiling tightly.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you, Damon."

"So am I. Listen, I better get home. I'm sure my mother will jump all over me about blowing off Tanner's class again."

"I could come along, tell her what he's doing to you."

"Don't bother," I utter, standing up to leave.

"Damon," she whispers, stepping over till she's standing in front of me. I can't help but stare at her eyes. When my eyes drop to her lips and then back to her eyes, she leans forward and presses her lips against mine. Stunned I pull back a moment to stare at her for a long second before leaning in, joining our lips again. My body is alight with the electricity that's flowing through my body. Breathless, she pulls away, our foreheads touching as we stare in awe of each other.

* * *

"Chris! What are you doing here?" I ask running outside just as he's stepping out of his car.

"Amanda is in Idaho visiting her family so I thought I'd drive over to see you."

"I hope she's okay?" I ask, concerned.

"Amanda is fine. It's been almost a year since she last saw her parents so I put her on a plane to go to see them."

"I'm glad everything is okay with her."

"Hello Chris," my mom says as she steps outside too.

"Hi Millie. Thank you for inviting me."

"You're welcome. I'm sure Damon is over the moon to have you here."

"Mom, you're embarrassing me."

"Try to deny it," she scoffs, albeit playfully. "Grab his bag and take it up to the guest room would you please, Damon?" Nodding, I grab his bag and carry it in the house, Chris and my mom following behind.

"Damon, I've been sitting all day while I drove down here. Come, take a walk with me," Chris suggests.

"Um... sure."

"What time do you want us to be back Millie?"

"Supper will be ready around six."

"Alright, we'll be back before then. Thank you again for inviting me." Mom smiles then walks into the kitchen. We step outside and start walking down the sidewalk.

"Where do you want to walk to?"

"Is there any place you like to hang out?" Chris inquires.

"I like Falls park. It's pretty there."

"Let's go there then." Nodding I lead the way. We pretty much walk quietly till we get there and take a seat on one of the picnic tables.

"Why are you really here, Chris? I saw the way my mom looked at you."

"Yes, your mother gave me a call. She said you've been skipping class and coming home late, worrying them. Is there a reason for that?"

"I have a teacher that hates me. Everyday it's the same thing, he does whatever he can to humiliate me. And the kids are just as bad. They tease me and make fun of me. My friend Elena from across the street and a guy named Matt are the only ones who are nice to me. Stefan is better I guess, but at school, he's still pretty indifferent."

"Have you told your parents about that teacher?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because he'll just be even more nasty if I tell on him."

"Damon, the man is an adult. He shouldn't be picking on school age kids."

"Tell him that," I yell, throwing my arms up in frustration.

"Calm down. We'll talk more about him later. I'm also here because the Parker's have been given a trial date. You'll have to testify against them Damon."

"Wha...what?"

"I'll talk to the DA to see if you can give your testimony via video tape so you don't have to face them, okay?"

"I guess I could do that. I don't want to see them," I utter, my voice fearful.

"I'll do everything in my power to make sure that you don't have to see them. I can't promise you though. It'll depend on the DA. He's a friend of mine though so I think he'll probably agree to let you give your testimony remotely."

"Thanks Chris."

"So, how are things with your friend Elena? Look at you smiling," he teases. Suddenly feeling shy, I turn away for a minute.

"We're going to go to a dance together next weekend. She kissed me," I whisper, my face flushing pink.

"Well?"

"It was nice, real nice," I admit, turning to him with a big smile on my face.

* * *

 _Nice DE moment. A ginormis thanks to Eva. I can't thank you all enough for all of your support with this and my other stories. It means more than you know._

 _I did post the first chapter of 'The Unforgiven' Wednesday. Please give it a look. 'Shatter Me' will update tomorrow._

 _I hope you all have a safe and fabulous weekend. Please don't forget to hit that REVIEW button. Until next time..._


	11. Break My Fall

"Damon, do you want to go to the bowling alley with me?" Stefan asks just as he steps into my room.

"You want me to go along?"

"Duh! Would I have asked if I hadn't?"

Tightening my lips, I stare at him for a moment. "Why?"

"You're my brother and I guess we should get to know each other better," he replies. I can't help but think he has some ulterior motive. He has been anything but welcoming since I got home. Deciding to give it a whirl, I nod my head, stand up and grab my jacket before following him down the stairs and outside. After he tells our mom where we're going, we start walking downtown to the bowling alley. He's not much for conversation as we walk down the sidewalk, preferring to look straight ahead as opposed to actually looking at me from time to time.

"Are you sure you want me to go with you, Stefan?" I ask him, perplexed at how his behavior can change from one moment to the next.

"I'm sure. It's right there," he says pointing to a building just up the street. "Mystic Falls Lanes" was flashing in neon even though it was just late afternoon. Once we get inside, Stefan looks around then waves to the group of kids he runs around with at school. Suddenly feeling uneasy about all of this, I shove my hands in my jeans pockets so he can't see how nervous this is making me feel. I don't move when Stefan starts to walk over towards them. When he notices I'm not beside him, he turns around to stare at me.

"You coming?" Taking a deep breath to calm my frayed nerves, I just nod my head and follow behind him. Not really knowing any of his friends, I just take a seat while he yaps it up with them.

I can't help but feel a bit wary of Stefan's sudden sense of companionship since he's been so hostile to me since I got home.

"Damon, go to the counter and get yourself a pair of bowling shoes so you can join us," Stefan says, yelling loud enough so I'll hear him. Although grimacing, I nevertheless go to grab a pair of shoes in my size. Once I slip them on, Stefan hands me a bowling ball and gestures for me to take my turn to try to knock down the pins. Having never bowled before, I know I'm going to make an absolute fool of myself and giving him more ammunition in the process. However, on the slight chance that this could be legitimate, I don't want my own brother to hate me forever. I take a moment to close my eyes. After having watched the guys take their turns, I do my best. Of course it goes in the gutter. How can they expect me to be an expert the very first time I try this game.

"That's okay, Damon. Most all of us hit the gutter the first time we try to bowl. You'll get the hang of it," he tells me, giving me a little pat on the arm. Nodding, I take my seat and watch the rest of them till it's my turn again. The next time I manage to knock over a couple of the pins. As expected, by the time the evening is over, I have the lowest score but I did enjoy myself. After Stefan tells his friends goodbye, we walk home.

"You're home," dad mentions as we step inside the house. "Did you have a good time, Damon?" he asks.

"I did. Thank you for inviting me, Stefan."

"No problem. I'm going to bed. Goodnight dad," he says with a yawn before turning around and walking up the stairs. Just as I'm ready to follow him upstairs, dad gently grabs onto my shoulder. I involuntarily stiffen up and suddenly I'm transported back in time.

 _"Danny, what were you doing out of your room? You were specifically forbidden to come out here! Explain yourself?"_

 _"I...I was hungry," I stutter, my voice quivering with fear._

 _"You're always hungry. You practically eat us out of house and home as is!" she yells, throwing her glass of bourbon down her throat and slamming the glass on the counter top._

 _"Wh.. why do you hate me so much? You're my mom..." She focuses her gaze in on me for several moments before breaking out with a Cheshire cat like grin. Without any warning, she backhands me, sending me sprawling across the floor. Feeling something trickling down my forehead, I reach up, grimacing when I feel my blood and the sting of my splayed open flesh when my fingers ghost along the gash in my hairline. When I see the blood on my fingers, I can't help the tears that prick at my eyes knowing how much my parents hate me._

 _"Why did you pick me when all you do is hurt me?" I ask her, my voice choked with tears._

"Damon?"

"Please don't hurt me anymore," I beg, my voice tone hushed. In my mind I'm still laying on that cold kitchen floor while she slaps me silly.

"Son," my dad says softly, loosening his grip on my shoulders. Turning me around so I'm facing him, he reaches up, tentatively stroking my cheek. "Damon, I'll never hurt you," he reassures me.

"What?" I ask, looking around confused to my surrounding for just a few moments.

"Damon, did you just have a flashback?"

"I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice panicked as I look everywhere but at him.

"You didn't do anything wrong. You have nothing to apologize for." When I finally focus my eyes on him, I see understanding dawning in them.

"Let's go into the kitchen. I'll make you some hot chocolate. That might help you sleep okay?"

"Um... I.. I just... I just don't know what to do," I sputter, my eyes beginning to prick with moisture. I don't want him to see me in this state so I quickly back away and run up the stairs. I step into my room and push the door closed before I collapse onto the floor, panting as I struggle to catch my breath. The enormity of everything weighing me down like a ton of bricks.

* * *

Joe: Damon's father

"Is everything okay?" Millie asks when I step into our bedroom to get ready for bed. Sighing heavily, I run my fingers through my hair before unbutton my shirt.

"I'm going to take a quick shower then we'll talk." Although she looks at me curiously, I step into our en suite bathroom. Suddenly feeling the weight of the world, I press my hands against the bathroom sink, gripping it firmly. I'm torn up inside at the thought of my son being abused during his formative years. No wonder he's plagued by nightmares, I think to myself, unconsciously squeezing the sink's edge so tightly that my fingertips and knuckles are white. Shaking my head, I release my grip, turn on the shower and step in. I can't even enjoy the hot water pummeling my body after what I've inadvertently learned about Damon. Maybe we are going to need family counseling. Knowing that Millie and I need to find a way to help our son recover, I step out, wrap a towel around my waist and walk back into our bedroom.

"What's wrong Joe?" she asks.

"It's Damon. I think he had a flashback a little while ago. He spaced out for a little bit then he practically begged me not to hurt him anymore. He was absolutely mortified when he realized what happened. I think those people, the Parkers, inflicted far more than emotional damage," I explain, looking into her suddenly tear filled eyes.

"I think the two of us should talk to Dr. Mikaelson. We need to know how we can help him. Is it any wonder he keeps to himself?" I utter, shaking my head in sheer hatred at the monsters who stole my son.

Wrapping her in my arms, she looks up at me. "Yes..," she stutters out through her tears.

"Oh God, Joe. What all did they do to him?" she burbles out, her voice still choked with tears. "I mean, he was just a baby when they took him. He's probably too ashamed to talk about it or open up to us."

"I'm sure you're right," I whisper, caressing her back to try to comfort her. "We'll call Dr. Mikaelson tomorrow and set up an appointment." Looking down at her, she nods her head. Reaching over to the nightstand, I turn out the light. Laying down, I pull her against my chest, needing the anchor that my wife has always provided to me. Even through our darkest days when Damon first disappeared, we were always able to give each other strength.

Things like this often tear families apart or so we were told. Thank God, Millie and I have been able to navigate our way through the once troubled waters. Now we're going to have to get the oars wet again as we work our way through this revelation. We have to find a way to help our son recover, I will do everything humanly possible to make that happen. Closing my eyes, I drift into an uneasy sleep, my mind conjuring all kinds of things that may have happened to my child, things that I shudder to thing about.

* * *

Damon:

 _Fisting my shirt, he pulls me close so he's right in my face, the stench of alcohol heavy. "You little fool. Did you really think you would get away with sneaking out?" he sneers, his putrid breath causing my eyes to water._

 _"Um, I just wanted to get some fresh air," I whisper, goose bumps erupting on my skin._

 _"Why didn't you open a fucking window if you wanted fresh air?"_

 _"I...I don't know. I came back. I didn't talk to anyone, I swear," I whisper, my voice tremulous as fear surges through my body. His fist is entwined so tightly in my shirt that I can't even look away when the first blow comes to my mid section. I can't even speak, let alone cry as the force of his punch knocks all the wind out of me._

"Please stop," I yell, flying upright in bed. Reaching up, I wipe off the beads of sweat that fall into my eyes as I struggle to gather my bearings. I exhale heavily when I realize I'm safe. Shaking off my fear, I grab one of my pills realizing I hadn't taken one. I was so humiliated with the fact that my dad witnessed a flashback that I forgot to take one. Rather than breaking one in half, I take a whole pill. I'm having flashbacks and nightmares again so the half a tablet isn't enough. Maybe Dr. Mikaelson can recommend something else for me to take. I don't want the nightmares but I don't like being so fatigued all the time either. Suddenly I hear a light tap on my bedroom door.

"Damon?" she asks, peaking through the crack in the door as she pushes it open ever so slowly.

"Um.. Caroline, I'm so sorry if I woke you."

"It's okay," she says sadly, clutching her blanket to her chest.

"Come here," I whisper. Nodding she walks over to the bed and climbs in, sitting next to me.

"Did you have another bad dream?" she asks, her soulful blue eyes staring into mine.

"Yeah," I tell her honestly. Tipping her head slightly as if deep in thought, she scoots over and wraps her little arms around me, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"Do you want me to stay with you? I'll chase your dreams away," she whispers in my ear.

"I would like that a lot but I don't know if mom and dad would?"

"They won't care."

"How do you know?"

"Because they knows I'm taking care of you," she says confidently.

"How about if you sleep on the bed and I'll sleep on the floor?" I compromise with her. Grabbing one of the pillows and a blanket I make myself a bed on the floor and settle down.

"Goodnight Caroline," I whisper.

"Night night Damon. I love you."

Closing my eyes, I swallow thickly. Chill bumps erupt on my body as I struggle to speak clearly. "I love you too."

* * *

Joe:

"Come in Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore." We look up to see Dr. Mikaelson motioning for us to come into his office and take a seat. Once we do, he turns to us, "How can I help you two today?"

"It's Damon. He's still having flashbacks and nightmares. I actually witnessed one of his flashbacks. He begged me not to hurt him before he was catapulted back to the here and now for lack of a better word," I explain to him.

"Dr. Mikaelson, has Damon told you anything about his life with those animals that took him away from us?" Millie asks, her voice distraught.

"Yes, he has mentioned a little about his life but I'm not at liberty to tell you. I promised him that what he said in here would be kept confidential. I can't betray his trust otherwise our relationship will cease to exist. If he doesn't trust me, he won't talk to me. Please understand that."

"We do, Dr. I guess the reason we're really here is that we need to know what we can do to help him move beyond this. I want him to have a good and happy life. I know he'll carry some of these scars with him forever but I don't want him to be weighed down by them. I want him to be able to thrive and prosper," I tell him, my voice full of emotion.

"I expected nothing less to be perfectly honest. You've taken the necessary steps to get him into counseling. I can tell you that I believe he's suffering from PTSD, that's _Post Traumatic Stress Disorder_. The medication that he taking is not only to help him sleep but to also help with his flashbacks and hallucinations."

"Hallucinations?"

"Yes, hallucinations are encompassed in a PTSD diagnosis."

Reaching into her handbag, Millie grabs a tissue to dab her eyes. "How can we help him, Dr. Mikaelson?"

Tenting his fingers, he looks from me to Millie before beginning. "Trauma alters the way a person sees the world, making it seem like a perpetually dangerous and frightening place. It also damages people's ability to trust others and themselves. Anything you can do to rebuild Damon's sense of security will contribute to recovery. This means cultivating a safe environment, acting in a dependable and reassuring way, and stepping in to help when needed," he explains to us.

"But it also means finding ways to empower him. Smothering someone with PTSD or doing things for them that they're capable of doing for themselves is counterproductive. Better to build their confidence and self-trust by giving them more choices and control."

"Can you tell us a little about it? Other than being familiar with the term 'PTSD', we really don't know anything about it?" I express.

"People suffering from PTSD live in a constant state of physical and emotional stress. To make matters worse, they usually have trouble sleeping. They are exhausted, on edge, and physically strung out—which increases the likelihood that they'll overreact to situations and stressors in their day-to-day life. Many but not all of the people with PTSD, anger can also be a cover for other feelings or a defense against grief, helplessness, guilt, or shame. They'd rather be mad than sad. Anger makes them feel powerful, instead of weak and vulnerable. For others, their anger is so intense that they're afraid of letting it out. Instead, they try to suppress it. But it simmers under the surface, like an active volcano, and can erupt when you least expect it."

"Dr. Mikaelson, that's the thing, we really haven't seen him angry. So if he is, he's not exhibiting it to us," Millie mentions.

"While you shouldn't push him to talk about his experiences, you absolutely can let him know that you're available if he chooses to share. If he does, try to listen without expectations or judgments. Make it clear that you are interested and that you care, but don't worry about giving advice. Leave that to me as the professional here," he tells us before continuing.

"Instead do your best to simply take in what he's saying to you. Never underestimate how much just empathetic listening can help him. A person with PTSD may need to talk about the traumatic event or events repeatedly. This is part of the healing process so try to avoid telling him to stop and move on. Instead, offer to talk as many times as he needs to. And remember, it's okay to dislike what he's telling you. Some things may be very hard to hear. However, it's very important to respect his feelings and reactions. He may tell you things that are horrifying to hear but you if you come across as disapproving, judgmental and yes, even horrified, it's unlikely he'd open up to you a second time," Dr. Mikaelson explains knowledgably.

"Is there anything we can do to make him feel safe enough that he would confide in us?"

"Yes. Tell him that you're not going to let him push you away, that you two are invested for the long haul. Structure and predictable schedules can and often do enhance the afflicted person's sense of security. You can help create a safe place for him by being aware of things that make him feel edgy and afraid. For example, he probably feels fear when he's thrown into new situations, crowds and chaos. Try to minimize stressors at home and make sure he takes the time for rest and relaxation."

I look first to Millie and then back to Dr. Mikaelson. "He seems the most comfortable with our daughter Caroline. She's five. The morning after his flashback, I went to get him up for school. Caroline was sound asleep in his bed while he was sleeping on the floor. She accepts him completely whereas our boy, Stefan is having some difficulty adjusting to Damon being home. Although in the last couple of weeks, he's made an effort to include Damon in some of his activities. I think maybe Stefan is starting to come around too."

"That good. He has mentioned that he doesn't think his brother likes him very much."

"Oh no," Millie says sadly.

"Be consistent with him. Keep your promises so he will learn that you are trustworthy. Tell him that you believe he can get well. Emphasize his strengths and help him as well as your other son and daughter to see his positive qualities and successes. And lastly for now, you need to take care of yourselves too. Looking after your own well-being isn't selfish, it's necessary. Letting his PTSD dominate your life while ignoring your own needs is a guarantee of burnout. In order for you to have the strength to be there for Damon over the long haul, you also have to nurture and care for yourselves," he explains, eyeing us both with scrutiny.

Standing up, I extend my arm to shake his hand. "Thank you for agreeing to speak with us. It's been enlightening."

"Yes, thank you," Millie says, dropping her tear soaked tissues in the waste basket.

"Please feel free to come to see me anytime if I can be of anymore assistance," he states, walking us to the door. "Goodbye now," he states as Millie gathers her purse. Turning around, I nod my head before urging Millie out with the nudge of my hand to her back.

* * *

Damon:

"Damon, can you help me with my bike?" Caroline asks.

"Um.. sure. I haven't ever been on a bike but I guess I can make sure you don't fall."

"No bike?"

"I don't think so anyway unless I had one before...," I stutter, taking in a breath.

"I sorry, Damon," she says softly.

"It's not your fault. Come on, let's go outside." As I start to walk to the door, she reaches up to take my hand. Inhaling sharply, I give her hand a gentle squeeze as we're walking out of the door.

Cautiously, she gets on her bike while I hold it steady on the sidewalk. I don't want her to go onto the street and get hit by a bad driver or something. As she starts peddling, I hang on while walking beside her. Carefully, I let go and she manages to stay upright for several feet. When she slows down the bike starts to teeter a bit. I run to catch her before it tips over and manage to grab ahold of her just in time. The momentum causes me to stumble to the ground, her on top of me. For a moment she looks like she's going to start crying but instead surprises me when she starts giggling.

"That was fun," she squeals.

"You think so do you?" I ask her. With a wink, I roll her off of me and start tickling her. Soon we're both rolling with laughter. So much so that we don't even hear Elena walk up to us from her house across the street.

"What are you two doing?" Elena laughs.

"Damon was helping me to ride my bike," Caroline giggles.

"Oh really! It doesn't look much like bike riding to me," she teases.

"Does so," Caroline retorts, playfully sticking her tongue out at Elena.

Sticking her own tongue out at Caroline, Elena replies, "I can do that too." Caroline breaks out in more giggles when Elena stoops over and starts tickling her too.

Once we all stop laughing, I turn to Elena. "Um.. The dance Friday night, are we going to walk?"

"No, Jeremy is coming home this weekend. He's going to give us a ride. Ric will be chaperoning so he has to leave early to help set things up. Is that okay?"

"Yeah," I answer, smiling.

"I suppose I should go back in and do my homework. I'll see you tomorrow, Damon. Bye Caroline," she tells her, waving goodbye as she walks across the street.

"You're going to the dance with Elena?" Caroline squeaks.

"Yes." I answer, wondering what's churning in that precocious little mind of hers. Jumping on my belly, she leans down to whisper something in my ear.

"Can I help you to get ready?"

"Do you even know how to help me to get ready?"

Crossing her arms over chest, she pouts, "I know how."

Knowing I may regret this, I still can't help but smile at her. "Okay, you can help me then." Jumping off of me, she grabs onto my hand to try to pull me up. I help her out yet pretend that she's the one doing all the work.

"Do you want to try getting on the bike again?" Stooping over, I lift up her bike, holding it steady as she climbs on. "You ready?"

"Ah ha," she utters, her lips tight in concentration. She starts peddling while I hold on and start to speed up a little to keep up with her. This time when I let her go, I have to run to keep up with her.

"Look at me, Damon," she squeals excitedly.

"I see. Can you stop now?" I ask, getting closer to her when she slows down a bit. Just as I catch up with her, she manages to push on the brakes and stop without falling over.

"You did it!" I yelp, wrapping an arm around her shoulder so I can give her a light squeeze.

"I did do it!" she screams, jumping up and down hysterically. I can't help but laugh.

"You ready to go back to the house now?"

Smiling happily, she nods, walking alongside me as I push the bike. Once we put her bike in the garage, she grabs on again, leading me into the house and up the stairs. I can't help the sense of both fear and awe at what I feel when I'm with both Caroline and Elena. A shiver runs up my spine causing my mouth to drop open as realization dawns on me that this must be what ' _normal_ ' feels like.

* * *

 _A big thanks to Eva. Thank you all for your reviews, follows and favorites. They really do stir the muse. I am working on a new story. I'll give you a tease when it's closer to being done. I'm 10 chapters in and still haven't gotten to the meaty parts so it'll be long I think._

 _'The Unforgiven' and 'Shatter Me' will update tomorrow. Please give them a look._

 _Have a safe and fabulous weekend. Remember to click that *REVIEW BUTTON*... Until next time..._


	12. Wonderful

_For the guest reviewer who couldn't wait for an update. Make sure you review now. I had such a hellish night at work last night and I'm just about to walk out the door to do it all over again..._

 _Chapter got its name from the Everclear song: Wonderful_

* * *

Picking up my phone, I look at the caller ID, "Hi Chris," I greet him.

"How are you buddy?"

"Nervous."

"Why are you nervous and how can I help?" he asks.

"I'm taking Elena to the dance tonight. I'm scared to death. I don't know anything about girls, Chris. What if she wants to... you know...?" My thoughts running together so quickly, I barely take a breath.

"Damon, slow down. Young man, you are nowhere near emotionally ready for sex. I'm sure Elena will understand. How old is she anyway?

"She's going to be sixteen soon. Jeremy, that's her brother, told me that she got held back too because she missed so much school when their parents died."

"She seemed like a very nice girl when you introduced us. I wish you'd stop worrying. You don't even know that the topic will even come up."

"I know and I also know that I'm not ready for that but I'm not an idiot. What do I do if she does want to go there?"

"Don't! Just explain it to her, Damon. If she cares about you the way she seems to, she'll be fine with waiting till you're both ready. And Damon, you're only sixteen years old. Believe it or not, I didn't have sex till I was almost twenty years old. And even then, I regretted it afterwards because it wasn't with Amanda."

"Nineteen?"

"Yes," he replies.

"I'm so scared," I whisper, hoping it's loud enough for him to hear me.

"Just be honest with her and be the man I know you to be." Nodding as if he can see me through the phone, I finally answer. "Okay."

"Good. Listen buddy, I'm going to drive up there next weekend to talk to you and your parents about the Parker's trial. I'll let you get ready. Do call me if you need to talk or even if you just need a pep talk."

"I will. Bye Chris."

"Goodbye, Damon." Just after that, I hear the dial tone in my phone's receiver.

* * *

"Damon?"

"Mom, did you want something?" I ask, looking at her curiously.

"I bought some flowers for you to give Elena tonight. They're downstairs in the refrigerator. Don't forget to grab them when you leave okay?"

"Thanks. I didn't even give that a thought," I utter, dropping onto my bed.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she says, taking a seat beside me on the bed.

"I don't know anything about what girls like," I whisper, my face flushing with embarrassment.

"Damon, sweetheart. Girls like to have the door opened for them. Pulling a chair out, things like that. Elena obviously likes you just the way you are or she wouldn't have invited you."

Looking into mom's eyes, I blow out a puff of air. "I guess so."

"I wish you wouldn't worry so much," she tells me softly.

"I talked to Chris."

"What did he have to say?" she asks.

"He said he's going to drive down to talk to us about the trial."

"Trial?"

"Yeah, you know the Parker's trial. I don't want to have to face them," I tell her, rubbing my sweaty palms nervously along my jeans clad thighs.

"Sweetheart, why don't we wait to worry about that till we hear what Chris has to say," she says, trying to reassure me.

Jumping off the bed, I start pacing back and forth in my room. Fisting my hands, unfathomable anger rising, I lash out at her. "That easy for you to say."

 _"Danny Parker, how dare you speak to your mother that way!" he yells, rounding on me, belt in hand._

 _"I just asked if I could go outside for a little while. All I wanted was some fresh air."_

 _"You know the rules. You're not allowed to go outside unless one of us is with you. I had a hard enough time explaining home schooling to the cop when they showed up about you not being in class," he sneers, lashing at me with the belt. Tears fill my eyes as the belt repeatedly cuts into my skin. I can feel the blood dripping down my side as I keep my head buried in the pillow, grimacing with each new strike mars my skin even more._

"Damon? Son, are you okay?" mom asks, gently cradling my cheeks with her palms.

"Um.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scream," I blurt out, fear echoing in my voice.

"Damon, I'm not going to hurt you. Be in the here and now with me."

"Mom?"

"Yes, it's me Damon, your real mom." When I realize where I'm at, my eyes widen and my cheeks bloom pink again much to my chagrin.

"Are you taking your medicine?" she asks.

Nodding, she smiles at me, once again caressing my cheek with her palm. "Why don't you take a nap? I know those pills make you feel so sleepy and you'll want to be fresh for your date tonight. I'll wake you up in a couple of hours so you can shower and get ready."

"I don't know if I want to go anymore."

"Yes you do. You like Elena and besides Caroline will never forgive you if you don't let her help you get ready. She's so excited."

Unable to hold back a smile, I bob my head up and down. "Maybe I will take that nap. Thanks mom."

"You're welcome. And Damon, I love you," she tells me then steps out of my room, pulling the door closed behind her.

* * *

I'm rudely awakened when I feel Caroline jumping up and down on top of me. "Damon, wake up. We gots to get you ready for Elena."

"Wha..what's going on?" I utter, still half asleep. Grabbing my face with her little hands, she pushes my cheeks together as she gets in my face, "You gots to get ready."

"Ready?"

"You knows, the dance," she says, her voice so serious.

"Oh yeah. Um, can you get off of me now?" I ask, grateful that I didn't wake up and start swinging. Accidental or not, I'd never be able to forgive myself if I had hurt her. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I sit up, trying to shake off the fatigue.

"What cha gonna wear?" she asks.

"Jeans and a tee shirt, I guess."

"Can I pick your shirt?"

"Um sure. But pick something decent," I utter, hoping I won't regret her choice.

"I knows how," she pouts, her arms crossed over her chest.

Chuckling at her stance, I mumble, "Do you now?" Walking over to my dresser, she pulls out a red shirt. When I shake my head no, she shoves it back in then grabs a maroon colored one. When I turn my nose up at it, she shakes her head, this time grabbing a white v neck tee. She holds it up and when I smile she sets it on top the dresser before closing the drawers.

"Can I tell you a secret?" I ask her.

"Ah ha." Using my index finger, I motion for her to come over to stand by me. Tee shirt in hand, she walks over and stands between my knees. I bend over and whisper in her ear.

"Thank you for making me happy." Pulling back, I smile when I see her smiling too. Reaching up, she places one hand on each side of my face a second time.

"You make me happy too." As if my arms had a mind of their own, I wrap them around her to give her a hug. Neither of us hear the creek of the door when mom pushes it open. When I hear a soft gasp, I raise my eyes to see her smiling widely while reaching up to wipe her eyes at the same time.

"What's going on?" she asks just as I release Caroline and right my posture.

"She was just helping me pick out a shirt," I answer honestly.

"Make sure you take your jacket along. It's supposed to rain tonight. Caroline, come with me so Damon can get dressed now."

"Okay Mommy. Bye Damon," she says, waving goodbye as the two of them step out of my room.

* * *

After showering and getting dressed, I step back in alarm when I hear a wolf whistle. "Did I do something wrong?" I ask, my voice a bit shaky.

"No of course not, honey. I'm just admiring how nice you clean up," mom replies teasingly.

"Um thanks. Do you really think I look okay?"

"Yes, of course you do. Don't forget to take the flowers with you," she reminds me. When I open the refrigerator door, they're laying right there. Picking them up, I take a moment to sniff them.

 _"Danny, what are you doing?" my mother yells at me._

 _"I was only smelling your flowers," I utter, cowering back against the sink as she stalks towards me, only stopping when she's standing right in front of me._

 _"Did I say you could come out of your room?"_

 _"Um, no, I just came to get a drink of water and I saw the flowers. I didn't do anything bad," I plead with her, knowing what's probably coming next. Grabbing me by the throat, she squeezes tightly till I can barely breathe while at the same time, shoving me back into my room. Without saying a word, she releases me then slams the door closed, locking it from the outside._

"Damon?"

Hearing my name snaps me out of my flashback. "I'm okay. I should get going I guess. Elena said Jeremy was going to give us a ride."

"What time are you going to be home?"

"I don't know. I guess whenever Jeremy picks us up."

"Both Jeremy and Elena are pretty responsible people. I'm sure you'll be home at a reasonable time. And Damon, try to have fun," she tells me, reaching up to finger some hair off of my forehead.

"I'll try," I whisper. Just as I grab onto the doorknob to go outside, Caroline runs over to me, wrapping her arms around my legs.

"Bye, bye Damon," she says softly.

"Goodbye. I'll talk to you tomorrow okay?"

"Okay. I'm going upstairs to watch TV again." After watching her run off, I walk outside, pulling the door closed behind me.

* * *

Everything inside me is screaming to run home but I promised Elena so I shakily raise my hand and rap on her front door. After a few moments, the door opens.

Stepping aside, he gestures for me to step inside. "Hi Damon," Jeremy greets me, offering his hand for me to shake.

"Hi Jeremy. I hope it's okay that I'm going with Elena."

"Absolutely it is. How are you doing, you know with school and all?"

"Well, Tanner is still an ass. The other kids pretty much ignore me. My brother seems to be accepting me a little better. He invited me to go bowling with him and his friends a few days ago."

"I'm glad Stefan is coming around. He can be a little shit sometimes but he's Elena's friend so I keep my opinion to myself," he tells me knowingly.

"Damon, you're here," Elena remarks when she walks into the room. When she steps beside me, I hand her the flowers that my mom bought.

"These are for you."

"They're so pretty, Damon. Thank you. Did your mom tell you that I love wildflowers?"

"She said she got them at a flower store downtown."

"That would be _'Enzo's Flowers & Gifts_. He's the only florist in town. His wife Rose runs the bakery that's next door. Her glazed donuts are so yummy. I'll take you there sometime, okay?"

"Sounds good," I reply, nervously shifting from one foot to the next, hoping I'm not obvious.

"Are you two ready?" Jeremy asks, car keys in hand.

"Just let me grab my jacket. I heard the forecast say it's supposed to rain tonight. I'll be right back," she says, running up the stairs. In less than a minute, she's back. Jeremy holds the door open for us and we walk outside to his car. Mom said girls like to have the door opened for them so I do just that, opening the front passenger side door for her. Once she slides in and buckles her seatbelt, I close the door and jump in the backseat. Jeremy ignites the engine, pulls onto the street and drives us towards the school.

* * *

Lacing her fingers with mine, Elena leads me back into the gym. We went outside to get a little fresh air. We've spent most of the evening talking. I'm more than grateful that sex hasn't come up at all. Maybe Chris is right, she may feel that she's not ready yet either. I hope that's the case at least.

"Do you want to dance?" she asks, her voice suddenly shy.

"I don't know how to dance."

"Come on. I'll show you."

"I thought you said I wouldn't have to dance when I agreed to come with you," I tell her teasingly.

"Please?" she asks, pouting adorably. Unable to deny her, I exhale heavily, looking away for a moment.

"Just follow my lead, okay?" Nodding my head, she takes my hand and pulls me onto the dance floor. I tense just slightly when she wraps her arms around my neck. "Put your arms around me," she whispers. When I do, she smiles widely. We sway back and forth on the dance floor, our eyes only on each other. My smile grows from ear to ear when I feel her press her lips to my cheek. When the song is over, she takes my hands and pulls me off of the dance floor.

"Thank you, Damon. Um, do you want to get something to eat? We could run across the street to the diner and then come back for the last part of the dance."

"That would be great. I'm kind of hungry too." Surprising myself, I take the initiative and take her hand. This time it's me who's leading the way. Once we get inside the diner, we take a seat in a booth.

"Hello Elena," a waitress greets us when she walks over and fills our water glasses. Do you kids want menus?"

"Hi Rose. This is my friend, Damon." Turning to me, "Damon, this is Rose. She and her husband were good friends with my parents."

"Nice to meet you sweetie," Rose states, a big smile on her face. I can feel my cheeks blooming red when I smile at her.

"Um, you too."

"He's a little shy," Elena teases, winking at me.

"It's okay honey," Rose tells me. "Elena used to be pretty shy too."

"Rose! That's a secret," Elena squeaks, pretending to be astonished.

"Alrighty then, what would you kids like to eat?"

"Do you trust me?" Elena asks.

"Yeah. Why?"

Turning her attention back to Rose, "We'll share a plate of chili cheese fries with onions."

"Anything to drink?"

"I'll have a Coke. Damon?"

"I'll have a Sprite if you have it?"

"We do. I'll be back with your fries and drinks in a little bit."

"Thanks Rose," Elena tells her as she walks away.

* * *

Once we get back to the dance, Stefan comes over to talk with us. "Can I borrow Damon for a little bit, Elena?"

"Yeah, I guess. I'll just go say hello to Bonnie."

"Thanks," Stefan says, grabbing me by the elbow and pulling me with him.

"What did you want with me?"

"Here," he says handing me a flask. "Have a swallow."

"What is this?"

"Just taste it. It's really good."

"Is this alcohol? I can't drink, Stefan."

"Oh come on. Loosen up."

"Fine, one swallow but that's all." Lifting the flask I put it to my lips but hold them closed so I can pretend to take a drink. Stefan doesn't buy it though. Just to placate him, I take a real swallow but practically choke when he grabs ahold of my neck, forcing me to swallow it all.

"What the hell, Stefan?" I ask, angrily.

"Now, go have fun with Elena," he snickers. "Maybe she'll put out."

"Stop it Stefan." After giving him a shove, I turn to walk away. In moments, I start to feel dizzy and light headed.

"Are you okay, Damon?" Elena asks when she walks over to me.

"I don't know. Stefan forced some alcohol down my throat. I don't feel so good."

"Let's go sit down," she says, leading me over to one of the bleacher seats. Once we sit down, suddenly the music stops. My head is fuzzy from whatever Stefan gave me but I recognize my own voice playing on the sound system for all the kids to hear.

" _I'm scared to death, I don't know anything about girls. What if she wants to you know..' I'm so scared, I don't know a thing about what girls like. I have no experience with girls. I know I'm not ready for sex. I'm so scared. I don't know anything about what girls like. I don't know nothing about girls. I'm scared to death. I know I'm not ready for that but what if she wants to.. you know?"_

* * *

Elena:

I'm startled when I hear his voice over the PA system. Especially his admission that he has no experience with girls. No wonder he's been so shy and tentative around me. When I turn to look at him, he looks absolutely horrified. His eyes dart back and forth, looking like a caged tiger trying to figure out a way to escape. Cautiously, I walk closer to him but he backs away. I follow his gaze till I'm sure we're both looking at Stefan. My mouth drops when I see Stefan's smug, condescending look as he laughs hysterically at Damon's expense.

"Damon?" I whisper, walking slowly towards him. His eyes are wide, almost glazed over. He looks around from side to side before finally breaking into a run, pushing people out of the way till he disappears out of the door. I run after him but I can't find him. When I feel a hand on my shoulder, I turn to see that it's Stefan, still laughing inappropriately.

Fisting my hands, I take in a deep breath then turn around and smack him as hard as I can with my fist.

"What the hell was that for?" he yells. When blood starts to trickle from his nose, I sneer at him.

"What the hell did you do?"

"Oh come on Elena. You know you don't like him either. He's a naïve, immature little puss," he yells back at me, wiping the blood from his face with the back of his sleeve.

"You don't know anything," I yell, rounding on him again.

"Stop with the self righteous indignation, Elena. As if you never pulled any practical jokes."

"I never deliberately set out to hurt anyone. You have no idea what his life was like with those people. And for you to make fun of him is beyond the pale." Just then a streak of lightning hits a little too close, causing the power to go out. It's pitch black outside when I hear my phone chime. When I look at it, it's Jeremy. I text him back to come to pick me up. By the time Jeremy arrives, the power has come back on. Jumping into his car. I finally break out into tears.

"Elena, what happened? Where's Damon?"

"He ran off." After telling him what Stefan did, he curses and slams the heel of his palm against the steering wheel.

"We have to find him Elena."

* * *

Damon:

Those words, my words are playing on repeat over the sound system. Everyone in the building is laughing hysterically. They're laughing at me. In shock, I look around till I see Stefan. His arms are crossed over his chest. A smug look crosses his face as he laughs inappropriately just like everyone else. My chest hurts and I can't breathe but my head is fuzzy. I look at Elena who looks just as mortified as I feel.

"Damon," she gasps aloud.

Unable to take anymore humiliation, I run outside as fast as I can to escape this. Feeling my stomach churning, I start retching, emptying my stomach of everything till nothing but bile comes out. When I hear Elena calling my name, I know I have to get the hell out of here. Feeling frenzied, I look from side to side. Lightning and thunder starts to roar and crack and light up the sky. I quickly jump to my feet and start to run. I don't know where but I know I have to get away from all of them.

I keep running till my feet won't carry me anymore. When I look around, I see that I've gotten all the way to Falls park. Once I catch my breath, I climb onto the rocks, looking over the edge of the precipice. Feeling the urge to jump, I drop my face into my hands and just collapse onto the rock below. Although I'm soaking wet now from the onslaught of rain, I sit down on the rocks hoping no one will find me till it's too late.

* * *

 _*heavy sobs* Trust me with Stefan. Thank you so much Eva for everything dear friend. Thank you all for your reviews and favorite and follows. I appreciate them more than you know. I have two other stories in progress and several in my profile if you're interested._

 _*REVIEWS ARE LOVE*.. They do spur the muse... Gotta go, a nurse's work is never done. Thank you all again. Until next time._


	13. Who Wants to Live Forever

Elena:

"Do you have any idea of where to look for him?" Jeremy asks as he puts the car in gear and drives off, leaving Stefan to find his own way home.

"I've found him in the park a few times. You know, the one that he was taken from. Maybe we should check there first. I'm really worried about him, Jer."

"Me too," he says, keeping his eye on the road. We're quiet except for the sound of the car's windshield wipers and the defroster. It takes about twenty minutes but we finally arrive at the park. The rain has dissipated except for a few sprinkles. I start to walk off when Jeremy yells at me.

"Elena, we're staying together. It's dark out. I'm not taking a chance on something happening to you."

"You're right. Let's start looking." Nodding, we start off. I go into the ladies room just on the off chance he'd hide in there while Jeremy checks out the men's room. When we come out we look over the playground areas, the tennis courts and the soccer field. Lastly the we go over every section of the bleachers in the baseball diamond and football field. Not finding anything, tears fill my eyes.

"We have to find him, Jeremy. You didn't see the look on his face. Stefan forced him to drink something too. I suppose it was booze but I'm not positive. Stefan has dabbled with drugs."

"Drugs? Elena, you better stay away from that stuff. As you very well know from witnessing my decent, nothing good comes from using drugs."

"I know that Jeremy. He's only tried it a couple of times. I've talked to him about your past. He said he's only tried it once or twice."

"Let's not worry about Stefan right now. We need to find Damon."

"Do you think we should go to his house? You know, just in case?" I ask, unable to stop my hand wringing.

"I doubt that he would go home but I do think we should go to talk to Joe and Millie. Maybe they might have some ideas as to where to look." After Jeremy and I get back into his car, we drive through downtown just in case he went into the diner or the grill. We did go in to check them out, once again coming up empty. Jumping back in the car, we finally pull into Joe and Millie's driveway. Jeremy has barely stopped the car when I jump out and run to the front door. I push the doorbell, anxiously teetering from one foot to the other. Just as Jeremy steps up beside me, the door opens.

Millie smiles then looks around, a frown forming on her face. "Elena, Jeremy? Where's Damon?" she asks, stepping aside to let us come in.

"That's why we're here. So he's not at home?"

"No, of course not. I thought you two would bring him home."

"He ran off. We looked in the park and downtown but we couldn't find him."

"Joe, get in here," Millie yells, her voice frantic. In a matter of moments, Joe walks in, Stefan trailing behind him. I can't help the intensity of the glare I'm leveling Stefan with. Joe looks first to me and then to Stefan.

"Where's Damon?" he asks before turning to focus his eyes on Stefan. "You said he left with Elena and that they were on their way here."

"Um... Uh..."

"What's going on here?" Joe adds, confused, looking first to Millie and then to Jeremy and me.

"Elena said he ran off. Jeremy helped her look for him but they couldn't find him." Millie interrupts.

"Why would he run off?" Joe demands to know, his voice rising in anger.

"Ask Stefan," I blurt out, my eyes boring into Stefan's. Millie and Joe both turn to look at him. He starts to back away ever so slightly.

"What's she talking about Stefan?" Joe questions, rounding on him.

"Um.. uh.. I may have played a joke on him."

"What kind of a joke?"

"I didn't think he'd act like a little girl and run away," he snaps, knowing he's cornered.

Walking over to stand right in front of him, Millie piles on, "What did you do to him?"

"Um.. I hid a recorder in his room. I caught him on tape saying how afraid he was of girls and that he didn't know anything about them. I keyed it up in the sound system and played it aloud for everyone to hear," he stammers, looking down at his feet, no longer so sure of himself. Millie looks mortified and Joe's mouth drops agape, shock clearly visible on their faces.

"What did you make him drink, Stefan?" I interject.

Joe starts shaking his head. "Tell me you didn't feed him alcohol too?"

"Ah uh, I mixed a little acid in with it," he whispers.

"Oh my God, Stefan. How could you be so.. so... cruel to your brother?" Millie yells, throwing her arms up.

"Mommy? What's the matter?" Caroline whispers, walking down the stairs while rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Dear Lord, Joe. We don't know how alcohol and LSD mix with his medicine. He could be in real danger. We have to find him," Millie screams, finally dissolving in tears.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Caroline asks fearfully. "Where's Damon?" she asks, looking around the room.

Stooping down to her level, Joe pulls her into his arms. "We're going to go to find him sweetheart. But it's late and you need to go back to bed, okay?"

"Why didn't he come home?" She asks as tears fill her eyes.

"Something happened and he got hurt. We're going to go to find him and then we'll make him better."

"We make him better?"

"Yes baby, we will." Standing up, he lifts Caroline into his arms and takes her back upstairs. After several minutes, he trots back down the walking her back upstairs. Grabbing his coat off of the rack, he turns to Millie, "You stay here. I'm going to go to look for him."

Pulling the door open, Jeremy announces in no uncertain terms, "We're coming with you."

"Thank you. If we can't find him, we'll have to call the police. Stefan, you and I will have a long talk about this once we find your brother. Know that I'm incredibly disappointed and angry about what you did."

Stefan doesn't make eye contact, he just bows his head again.

"Let me run across the street and get Ric. He'll help us look. You and Jeremy can get going. I'll go with Ric."

"Yes, Elena. That's a great idea. Come on Joe, let's go. We can take my car." Joe nods and follows. After they pull out of the driveway, I run across the street to my house to get Ric.

"Hey Elena," Ric greets me when I fly into the house.

"You have to help me Ric. We have to find Damon."

"Find Damon?" he says, then as if struck by lightning, he blows out a puff of air. "He ran off didn't he? After what Stefan did?"

"Yeah, he did. Just get your coat so we can go." Seeing how frantic I am, Ric nods.

"I'm going to run upstairs to put my shoes on and tell Jenna. I'll be right down." As I watch him jog up the stairs, I can't shake off the chill that if we don't find Damon soon, something horrible is going to happen.

* * *

It's nearly two thirty in the morning. I'm so tired but I know I won't sleep until I know that Damon is safe. More thunderstorms have passed through our area dropping buckets of rain. Unless he found shelter someplace, he'll be drenched. Ric and I went back to the park and searched the same places that Jeremy and I had already searched. We went to the McDonald's as it's open for twenty four hours. Ric orders us both a coffee while I use the bathroom. Then we got back into the car just driving down the streets and alleys of Mystic Falls. Jeremy called and said he and Joe aren't having any luck either.

"What are we going to do Ric?"

"Why in the world would Stefan pull such a nasty prank on Damon anyway? Damon has little to no self esteem the way it is. He just takes Tanner's shit. Hearing that had to be devastating for him."

"I know Ric," I utter as we're driving down the dark roads on the outskirts of town. Just then we pass a Falls Park road sign.

"Oh my gosh!" I scream. "He could be at the Falls. I took him there once and he said it felt so serene to be there."

Ric drives ahead till he finds a place to turn around. "Call Jeremy and Joe. Tell them to meet us out there," Ric tells me, turning on his bright lights and speeding towards the park.

"Do you have any flashlights in the trunk? It's pitch dark out there this time of night."

"Yes," he says, just as he pulls into the public parking area. Shortly after Ric turns off the ignition, another car pulls alongside us. I breathe easily when I see Jeremy step out, flashlight in hand. Ric opens the trunk of the car then hands a flashlight both to me and to Joe.

"Thanks for helping us, Ric." Joe says, offering his hand.

"You can thank me after we find him."

Joe nods and then the four of us take off on foot. "We'll go this way, you two go that way," Jeremy directs, pointing us to head off in a rightward direction.

"Elena, be careful. Those rocks are wet and slippery," Ric cautions when I start to climb onto the them." Shining my flashlight all around. Just as I'm about to throw my arms up in despair, my flashlight beam illuminates a foot. When I flash the beam in that direction again, I see him.

"Damon!" I yell. He's several feet below me laying on an outcropping of rock. I don't see any blood when I shine the beam on his head and the rest of his body.

"Ric, over here. Jeremy, Joe, over here," I yell as loudly as I can. Ric gets to me first. Once again, I aim the beam down at him. Ric hands me his flashlight asking me to illuminate the rocks so he can reach Damon safely. My brother and Joe reach me at the same time Ric reaches Damon.

"He's unconscious," Ric yells. "Call 911. We don't know if he fell. He could have a neck or spinal injury if he did." Fortunately the ambulance reaches us in short order. After they put a cervical collar on him, they carefully lift him onto a stretcher. Jeremy, Ric and Joe help lift his gurney from the ledge up to where the rest of us are standing. I gasp when I see how disheveled and pale he looks. Slowly, I reach up to press my palm to his cheek. He's soaking wet and his skin is on fire.

"Can I ride with my son?" Joe asks the paramedic before turning to look at my brother. "Jeremy, can you go to the house and pick Millie up? I don't want her driving when she's so upset."

"Absolutely. We'll meet you at the hospital."

Nodding, Joe jumps in the passenger side of the ambulance, pulling the door closed just before the ambulance pulls away, sirens blaring.

* * *

After calling Jenna to let her know where we're going, Ric and I follow the ambulance to the hospital. Jeremy turns the other way so he can pick up Millie and bring her to the hospital. Jeremy and Damon's mom arrive not long after. I just need to know how he is. I'm exhausted as I drop into one of the chairs, laying my head on Jeremy's shoulder. Taking off his jacket, he wraps it around me along with his arm and holds me close. It's so late and doesn't take long for me to doze off. I'm startled awake when I hear someone asking for Joe and Millie.

"Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore?" I look up to see Joe and Millie stand up quickly and walk over to the man. Extending his hand to shake with first Millie and then Joe. He introduces himself.

"I'm Dr. Kimball."

"How is he?"

"He's very, very sick. He has a very high fever and his chest X ray shows he has pneumonia. He woke up briefly and started hallucinating. His blood test showed that he was drinking. We also got X rays of his body due to the fall to make sure there weren't any occult fractures. We've made some disturbing findings," he says, his voice low and foreboding.

"What do you mean "disturbing findings?" Joe asks.

"He's had several broken bones in his ribs, his arms and his leg. He also has terrible scars on his back as well as the back of his legs. Now, I understand that Damon was just recently returned to your family?"

Joe barely catches Millie when she collapses onto the floor in tears. Both Joe and the Dr. stoop down to try to soothe her. Pulling Millie to his chest, I watch as Joe swallows thickly, eyes welling with tears when he looks at Dr. Kimball again. Nodding, Joe goes into detail, explaining the whole sordid tale of Damon's disappearance and miraculous return to their family.

"Our younger son admitted forcing some LSD- laced alcohol down his throat," Joe says with disgust.

"That might explain the hallucinations he's having. We had to give him some Ativan to calm him down. He's on high flow oxygen right now. If his respiratory status deteriorates any further, we'll have to intubate him."

"Is he going to be okay?" Millie blubbers, her chest heaving with sobs.

"I don't know Mrs. Salvatore. Your son is obviously a survivor judging by the horrific beatings he's received in the past. That's the only explanation I can come up with to explain it. It doesn't appear that he had any medical care for those fractures. I'm surprised he doesn't complain of pain. His leg healed unevenly. Have you noticed a limp or anything?"

"No, we haven't," Joe replies, his voice hoarse with emotion.

"The fact that he's young and apparently physically healthy, plays in his favor. How has he been till now?"

"He's having problems adjusting. He's been seeing Dr. Elijah Mikaelson."

"Yes, I know Dr. Mikaelson. He's a good man."

"He believes Damon has PTSD and started him on some medication for that."

"I'm going to get back to him now. We're going take him to CT and then we'll be transferring him to the ICU. You'll be able to see him then. You can go upstairs to that waiting room if you prefer."

"Please help him," Joe and Millie respond almost simultaneously.

"I'll do everything I can Mr. Salvatore," he tells them before turning around and walking out of the room. When Joe and Millie collapse into the chairs, I walk over to them.

"Jeremy says I need to go home to get some sleep. I'll come back later. Please tell him that I'm thinking about him." Rubbing the tears from my own eyes, I stoop over and give Millie a hug. Joe surprises me when he stands up and gives me a hug too.

Releasing me, he steps back, turns to Millie and then back to me. "Thank you Elena. If you hadn't thought of the Falls park, he would be dead. I never would've thought to look there."

"You're welcome. Now is not the time but I need to talk to you about things at school." When he looks even more downtrodden, tears begin to cascade down my cheeks.

Shaking his head, he stares at me through tear glistened eyes. "The kids, they're cruel to him aren't they?" Unable to say anything, I just nod. "You go home and get some sleep Elena. Thank you again. We'll have that talk tomorrow okay?"

"Yes," I whisper, tears falling unbidden. Jeremy pulls me against his chest for a moment then drapes his coat around me again. Taking my hand, he and Ric lead me out of the hospital.

* * *

Joe:

"Hello?"

"Hello Mr. Salvatore. I'm calling because I told Damon that I would be driving down to talk to you all about the trial. There's another reason too but I don't want to get into that on the phone. Does this weekend work with you?"

"Um, Detective Williams, Damon is very sick. He's in the hospital."

"What happened?"

"To make a long story short, Stefan pulled a cruel joke on him and Damon ran off. By the time we found him, he was delirious with both fever and the LSD that Stefan forced on him."

"Oh my God! Would it be alright if Amanda and I drive down there? As you know, we think the world of him."

"Absolutely. I know my son trusts you too."

"We'll get there as soon as we can Mr. Salvatore. Please tell him that we're thinking of him."

"When he's coherent, I will. His Dr. thinks the LSD mixed badly with the medication his psychiatrist prescribed. They're having to keep him sedated otherwise he struggles and won't leave his oxygen on."

"Oh heavens. Please just tell him that I'm coming. Goodbye Mr. Salvatore. I'll see you sometime tomorrow."

"Goodbye Chris," I utter then click off my phone. Once again, I look at the clock. It's nearly nine am already. Having sent Millie home to get some rest and to see Caroline, I collapse in the chair beside his bed. Taking his hand in mine, I press a soft kiss to the top of it. As I look at my broken son, the weight of every horror he's had to live through hits me like a ton of bricks. Unable to hold back any longer, tears burst from my eyes as a strangled cry leaves my lips. My body is shaking so hard. I drop my head onto the bed clutching his hand to against my cheek till my eyes fall closed. Sheer exhaustion finally pulls me into slumber.

* * *

 _*tears* The title is from the hauntingly beautiful 'Queen' song. It's one of my favorites along with 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'Somebody to Love'. I actually have a framed 'Queen' concert poster, their first US tour performance in 1974 in Denver. Tickets were $7.50. Can you imagine!_

 _Thank you Eva for everything. Love you my sister.. Thank you all for your interest and enthusiasm for this story and as always, I can't thank you enough for the reviews and other interest in my story._

 _There's still much to come in this story. I did update 'Shatter Me' yesterday. I just posted the update on 'The Unforgiven'. Please give those a read too._

 _Big yawn. I'm fighting fatigue for some reason today. But you all have a safe and wonderful weekend and I want to wish a very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHARLOTTE. I hope you have a terrific day sweetie. Make it count..._

 _*REVIEWS ARE LOVE*... Thank you all again._


	14. If I Could Be Where You Are

Elena:

"Thank you for agreeing to babysit Caroline," Millie says to me as she gathers her things so she can go back to the hospital.

"But mama, I want to see Damon. I make him better," Caroline cries, running into the living room and wrapping her arms around her mommy's legs.

"I know you want Damon, baby. And there's no doubt in my mind that you could make him better. But right now, Damon is very sick and unfortunately you're not old enough to visit him at the hospital. When he's able to speak, I'll let you talk to him on the phone. Right now, he's too sick to do that."

Walking over to Caroline, I stoop down in front of her. "Why don't you go get your colors and some paper? Then you and me can draw Damon a picture. He can hang it on the wall in his hospital room. I bet he'd really like that. Especially a picture from you." Bobbing her head up and down, she runs up the stairs to gather our supplies.

"That was a wonderful idea, Elena." Millie mentions as she watches Caroline dash out of the room.

"How is he really?" I ask, concern seeping from every pore in my body.

"They still have him sedated. When they've tried to take him off of the medication, he struggles and won't leave his oxygen on. He's still running a high fever. Dr. Kimball inserted a central line. That's a big IV in his neck so they could give him multiple antibiotics. He's also worried about his kidney function because of the effects of the drugs mixed with alcohol. He's hoping that with the extra fluid that they'll respond. But he also said that they may have to insert a temporary dialysis catheter so they can remove the toxins that way since his kidneys aren't functioning properly.

Gasping, my hand flies to my heart as I now realize how dire his health really is right now.

"I'm sorry if I'm prying but what about Stefan?"

"What about me, Elena?" he asks, casually walking down the stairs to join his mom.

"Nothing I guess. I was just wondering how you feel about all of this?"

"Why don't you tell her Stefan?" Millie demands, looking at Stefan pointedly.

"Come on, Mom? You know I feel bad. It was supposed to be a joke. I didn't want this to happen to him."

"Look Stefan, I know you didn't mean to physically harm your brother. But you did set out to harm him emotionally. That I don't understand," she says, staring at him.

"Mom, please," he begs, trying to turn away from her. Millie places her fingers under his chin making him look at her again.

"That's why you're going to come to the hospital with me today. You need to see for yourself the domino effect that you set in motion."

"I don't want to go to the hospital."

"Tough! Now go get your jacket, we need to leave."

"Fine," he finally concedes, walking over to the hall closet to grab his jacket.

"Maybe he won't even hear you but please tell him that I'm thinking about him."

Millie stares at me for several seconds before smiling. She walks over and gives me a peck on the crown of my head.

"He'll hear. He likes you, Elena."

Suddenly shy, I feel my face heating up when I whisper, "I like him too."

* * *

Millie:

"Mom," Stefan gulps, stopping in his tracks when he sees Damon. An oxygen mask is covering his face. He remains in a drug induced slumber. There are IV lines coming from his neck. A blood pressure cuff is on his arm and a pulse oximeter is attached to his finger. I notice right away that he has another line on the other side of his neck. Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I walk over to his bedside, taking his hand in mine.

"Millie, Stefan," Joe says when he walks in behind us, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"What's that new IV-like line he has in his neck?" I ask, turning to look at my husband.

"They sent him to interventional radiology earlier. It's called a 'Quinton Catheter'. They're going to dialyze him later today. He's hoping that it will not only help his kidney function but it will also help to clear his delirium."

"Oh Joe. I was hoping that wouldn't be necessary."

"Me too, sweetheart." He says, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"Well Stefan, what do you think?" he asks, his face stoic as he stares at our younger son.

His eyes widening, he looks like he's shaken to the core by what he's done. Shakily, he looks first to me and then to his father, "I'm so sorry. I promise you that I never meant for anything like this to happen."

"Has your mother filled you in on what the Dr. told us about his life with the people that took him?"

"No. Why?"

"I'm not going to go easy on you Stefan. Your brother was tortured. He's had multiple fractures that healed without medical care. Come here. I'm want you to look at his back when I roll him over a little." Joe lovingly takes Damon in his arms, presses a kiss to the crown of hair as he rolls Damon gently towards him. Since I've already seen the hideous scarring on his back, I don't want to see again. I keep my eyes on Stefan, watching as his eyes widen in shock before he stumbles backwards. Tears fill his eyes when he looks over at me.

"I'm so sorry. I never knew," he cries.

"We know that Stefan. He didn't tell any of us but we still don't understand why you'd want to not only hurt Damon but humiliate him. Help us understand?"

"I don't know. I had you to myself for so long and all of sudden he moves back in and everyone fawns over him. Caroline practically idolizes him."

"Stefan, you know full well that we haven't ignored you nor your sister since he came home. We love you so much. Not once have we ever wished it was you who was taken instead of him. You do know that right?"

"I know that," he replies, reaching up to wipe a tear before it falls from his eye.

"Make me understand then, please. He was kidnapped and tortured for ten years. Miraculously he's back and you did everything you could to make him feel unwelcome. I thought you were over it when you asked him to play basketball and go bowling with you. Or was that just a clever ruse used for the soul purpose of getting him to lower his guard around you?" I can tell by the look on his face that, that's exactly what his aim was.

"I'll make it up to him. I promise."

"I hope so," Joe tells him.

* * *

Elena:

Caroline and I are busy drawing pictures for Damon when I hear the doorbell ring.

"I'm going to see who that is. I'll be right back Caroline."

Too busy concentrating on her coloring, she doesn't even look up, answering, "Okay."

When I get to the front door, I pull it open. "Can I help you?"

"Hi. My name is Chris Williams. This is my wife, Amanda. We came to see about Damon."

"You're the police officer who's Damon's friend."

"Yes, and you're his friend, Elena, from across the street."

"I am. Please come in."

"Elena, who is it?" Caroline yells from the kitchen table where she's coloring.

"It's Damon's friends."

"Hi Mr. Chris," she says, when she walks into the living room, picture in hand.

"Hello Caroline," Amanda and Chris say at almost the same time.

"I drawed Damon a picture. Do you want to see?"

"I would love to see your picture," Amanda says, stepping close to her so Caroline can show her the picture she drew.

"I'd really like to get over to the hospital to see him. Elena, can you tell us how to get to there?"

"Chris, I can stay here with Caroline. Maybe Elena could ride along and give you directions?"

"Are you sure, Mrs. Williams?" I ask.

"Yes, I'm tired from the drive but I know Chris is pretty anxious to check in on Damon." Turning to Caroline, she asks her, "Do you mind if I stay with you, Caroline? Mr. Chris wants to see your brother."

"It's okay. Will you help me color?"

"I sure will."

"Alright. I'm just going to call Millie and make sure it's okay. I mean, I'm sure it will be but I'd feel better if I have her okay."

"That's a good idea, Elena," Chris agrees. After getting the okay from Millie, the two of us jump into Detective Williams car and drive to the hospital. We have to push a buzzer before they'll let us in the intensive care unit. Once they okay our arrival, we're buzzed in. We go to the nurse's desk to ask for his room number. There are glass windows on these rooms. Probably so the nurses can still keep an eye on their critical patients when they're not in the patient rooms. I'm taken aback when I see a big machine at his bedside. Blood, well it looks like blood is running through tubing and through a machine. He still looks like he's asleep. As we stare at him, Joe and Millie notice us. Joe steps out of Damon's room and offers his hand to Chris, shaking it firmly.

"Hello, Chris. Thank you for coming," he greets him, noticing how both of our eyes are focused on what they're doing to Damon.

"He's receiving dialysis. Why don't you come in and talk to him. Millie and I are going to get a cup of coffee."

"Where's Stefan?" I ask, looking all around.

"He's watching TV in the waiting room.

"I'll just go to find him." After nodding at Millie, I walk off leaving Chris with Damon's parents.

* * *

"Stefan?" He raises his eyes to mine for just a moment before turning away.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, not looking at me.

"I brought Damon's friend over. Um, I guess I'll go home now. I have some homework to catch up on."

"I'm so sorry, Elena. I shouldn't have done that either to him or to you. I wish I could take it back but I can't."

"Are you really sorry or just sorry that he reacted to it the way he did?"

"Elena, come on."

"No Stefan. I'm not ready to forgive you yet. I am going to walk home now." After giving him one last look, I walk back to Damon's room to see if I can say hi to him.

When I get back to his room, the three of them are standing just inside his door. Approaching them, I softly ask, "Um, can I just say hi before I go home?"

"Yes, Elena. We'll go to the lounge for a few minutes so you can talk to him alone."

The nurse giving him dialysis smiles at me. "I'll give you a couple of minutes too. I'll be right outside the door," she tells me.

"Thank you." After watching all of them walk off, I step inside of his room, walk over to his bedside and take his hand in mine.

"Hi Damon. It's Elena. I just wanted you to know that I think about you all the time. I just want you to get better. I miss you," I whisper, tears beginning to form in my eyes. Deciding to sit with him for a few minutes, I pull up a chair, sitting down next to him. Taking his hand, I press a kiss to the pad of his thumb.

"I can't stay long Damon. I have to get home but I'll come back as soon as I can. I've been watching Caroline so your mom and dad can be here with you. She's drawing you all kinds of pictures to decorate your hospital room with. I'll bring a couple along tomorrow if she lets me. She misses you so much too." Closing my eyes, I drop my head for a few minutes as moisture again wells in my eyes. Willing my tears not to fall, I wipe the wetness away. When I feel a light stroke along my palm, I look up to see that although his eyes are still closed, he's stroking my palm, ever so softly.

"Damon?" I whisper. Although he still doesn't open his eyes, he continues to stroke that area gently.

"I'm going to get your mom and dad. Chris is here too. I'll be back shortly. I stand up, lean over the bed and lift a kiss from his cheek before running off to try to find his mom and dad. Finally, something good to report.

* * *

 _Thank you Eva. And thank you, all of you for the reviews. I appreciate them so much._

 _I did just update 'The Unforgiven' and 'Shatter Me' updated yesterday. Forgive me for not responding to the reviews between work and working on two new DE stories, it seems I have very little time._

 _I hope you all have a safe and wonderful weekend. *REVIEWS ARE LOVE*.. Thank you all again and I'll see you next week._


	15. Teenage Wasteland

Elena:

"Come in, Elena," Millie invites me, stepping aside to let me in.

"I came to talk to you about Damon and school."

"You mentioned that. Joe, can you come down here? Elena would like to talk to us."

"Coming honey," I hear him yell from upstairs. In a few seconds he appears at the top of the stairs, Stefan trots down right after him.

"Hi Elena."

"Hi Joe. Hi Stefan." Although he doesn't raise his eyes to mine, he says hello quietly.

"What did you want to talk to us about?" Joe asks, looking first to Millie and then at me.

"School. Mr. Tanner harasses Damon relentlessly. That's why he would ditch school."

"That's outrageous! Why would a grown man pick on a teenager?"

"I don't know but he's been after Damon since his first day in class. He even went so far as to stick his foot out tripping and sending him sprawling spread eagle on the floor."

"What? That's just beyond the pale! Stefan, you're in the same class. Why didn't you say anything to us?"

"Because most of the time, he'd laugh right along with everyone else," I interrupt.

"Elena is right. I did. I have a lot of making up to do."

"You do indeed," Joe snaps, staring at him.

"Millie, tomorrow you and I are going over to the school. I intend to have a long talk with both Mr. Lockwood and Mr. Tanner."

"John Tanner has been a bully his whole life. Remember how he used to pick on the Mikaelson kid when we were growing up?" Millie adds.

Joe nods then turns to me. "Thank you for telling us Elena. I would imagine that Damon swore you to secrecy? And that's why you didn't tell us what was going on till now?"

"Yes. I'm so sorry. I should've said something sooner."

Wrapping one arm around my shoulder, Millie smiles at me tightly.

"Don't beat yourself up, Elena. It is what it is. We'll deal with it. I just wish that Damon would've been the one to come to us."

"We're going to go to the hospital to see him. They're supposed to be moving him out of intensive care today. Although he doesn't remember anything after he ran off, at least he's not combative or delirious anymore," Joe mentions.

"Mama, can I come along? I miss Damon," Caroline asks, tugging at the hem of Millie's top.

"Honey, as soon as he's moved to a regular room, I promise that daddy and I will take you to see him. Maybe Elena will help you pick out one of the pictures you made. I'll take it with me."

"Okay mama. Come on, Elena," she squeaks, grabbing onto my hand and pulling me with her. After I help her pick a couple of pictures, we hand them to Millie just as she and Joe are ready to leave.

"Can you tell Damon that I'll come to see him soon?"

"We will Elena. Thank you again for watching Caroline for us. Stefan are you coming along or staying here?"

"I'm going to stay here with these two," he replies, looking at me.

Joe nods then urges Millie out of the door. Stefan, Caroline and I all drop onto the couch. "Can we watch 'Beauty and the Beast'?

"Sure Caroline. That actually sounds refreshing." Once she digs it out of the DVD cabinet, Stefan puts it in the player. We all sit back, watch the movie and escape from reality for a little while.

* * *

Damon:

"Hey buddy, how are you feeling?" Chris asks as he takes a seat at my bedside. Feeling about an inch tall, I can do nothing but look away. Luckily when Dr. Kimball came to talk to me, my parents weren't around. He asked me about the scars on my back. I refused to talk to him unless he promised he wouldn't mention them to my parents. The fact the he swallowed thickly didn't escape my attention. When he nodded, I did tell him about my parents, I mean the Parkers, and their 'unique' methods of discipline. They told me over and over again that I was bad and that's why they had to hurt me. I don't want my real parents to see my scars. They're humiliating and I have no desire to see their pitiful faces when they look at me.

"Damon?"

"What Chris?" I ask, finally looking at him.

"I asked you how you were feeling."

"I don't know Chris. I'm sick to my stomach that my own brother would pull something like that on me. Sometimes I wish that I was still 'Danny'. Things were horrific but at least I knew what to expect and how to behave with them," I snap at him.

"Damon, that's not true and you know it."

Exhaling a breath, I turn away again. "Whatever you say."

"Damon? How are you sweetie? I brought you something," Amanda says as she walks into the room and hands me an ice cream shake.

"Thanks Amanda." After taking a couple of sucks from the straw, I smile tersely at her. "It's good."

"Hello everyone," my mom greets us all. "Sweetheart," she says, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

"I promised Caroline that I would give these to you." Eyeing her curiously, I take the stack of papers that she's holding out for me. As I look through the pictures that Caroline drew, I can't stop the smile that forms on my lips. Lastly, there is one that has Elena's name on it too. It maybe got stuck in my stack of pictures by accident. It says 'happy birthday Elena, from Caroline' printed in crayon at the bottom. It's a picture of a birthday cake.

"I don't think this one is mine," I utter, handing it back to my mom.

"Oh goodness, yes. Elena's birthday is tomorrow. I had completely forgot about it."

"Because of me."

"Damon, look at me. You don't have to hold the weight of the world up anymore. Dad and I are here to help you with that now. You have so many people that care about you. Please don't put the blame for everything on your shoulders."

"Your mom is right, Damon," Amanda replies, patting my prone hand softly.

"Absolutely," Chris concurs.

"Knock, knock," we hear just as a nurse steps into my room.

"My name is Kate. I'm one of the dialysis nurses. I'm here to take you downstairs," she says, pushing a wheelchair into the room.

"Do you feel like hopping in this chair, Damon? I'm going to take you downstairs to dialysis. When we're done, one of us will take you to your new room. Dr. Kimball is hoping that this session of dialysis will be your last."

"What determines that?" my mom asks.

"It'll depend on his renal function tests, his BUN, potassium and Creatinine among others."

"Okay."

"Um, can my mom come with me? I feel a little funny when I'm hooked to that machine." Mom looks stunned yet pleased that I asked for her to accompany me. I always feel so exhausted on the days I've had to go to dialysis.

"Sure Damon. She can come with you."

Nodding, I crawl out of bed, grab my bathrobe and sit in the wheelchair.

"I'll talk to you later, Chris. Bye Amanda." They smile and tell me goodbye. My mom grabs her purse, walking alongside me as I'm pushed into the elevator to go to the dialysis department.

* * *

Joe:

"The trial is scheduled to start in three weeks. I'm so sorry but as hard as the DA tried, the judge ruled that Damon will have to testify in person. I know the thought of that is going to be terrifying for him but the Parker's need to be put away. They need to pay for what they did to him. It's not just the kidnapping, it's the torture. I hadn't even seen his back when he stayed with me and Amanda. I was flabbergasted in all honesty. On another note, have you ever thought that maybe a plastic surgeon could help with some of his scarring?" Chris asks.

"Honestly Chris, we hadn't thought about a plastic surgeon. I think it's a good idea but I want Damon to be the one to decide. Although he's nowhere near ready to believe it, those scars bear the tale of his heroism and ability to survive. In a way, those scars are a badge of honor. Don't get me wrong, I'd do anything to be able to take that pain away but somehow he survived it all. I want him to make that choice."

"You're right Joe. And Damon, well he's my hero. I'll never forget the look on his face the first time I met him when he brought little Michael into the police station. He was terrified but he was also determined to do right by Mike. And speaking of Michael, I talked to his parents a couple of weeks ago. He's going to have to testify too. However, they really want to be able to thank Damon in person for saving their son. Although I have no desire to stir up anymore pain for him, it might be cathartic for him to have some closure with Mike. I think Damon and Michael really bonded so I really hope he'll agree to see him again." Chris explains, tenting his fingertips.

"I think we should talk to Dr. Mikaelson about that. I'm sure he'll be able to tell us if he believes that Damon is stable enough for that kind of emotional upheaval," I point out, raking my hand through my hair. Shaking my head, I lift my coffee cup to my lips. After taking a sip, I blow out a puff of air.

"He's my son and I have to protect him. I failed miserably when he was a little boy. I can't fail him again."

"Joe, you can't blame yourself. I know that's easy for me to say but it's water under the bridge now. You and Millie did everything you could to find him at the time. I'm filled with rage myself for what they did to him and I only just met Damon a few months ago. We have to help him move past this now."

"My head knows you're right but my heart isn't there yet if that makes any sense. I want those people to pay for what they did to my boy."

"Me too Joe, me too!"

* * *

Damon:

For once, I'm alone. Mom brought my I pad to me so I have something to tinker with while I'm stuck in the hospital. I still don't remember anything from that night after I ran away. It's just all a blur. Dr. Kimball said that could be because of the alcohol and drug intoxication from the cocktail that Stefan forced on me that night. My own brother nearly killed me. I don't even want to see him right now, let alone forgive him. I'm just not ready for that yet. Searching through 'Netflix', I find a movie I want to watch and start playing it, looking up when I hear a rap on my door.

"Damon?"

"Dr. Mikaelson?" I utter, shocked to see him here.

"Do you mind if I come in?"

"No, I don't mind."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, my Dr. says I may be able to go home at the end of the week. It depends on my kidney function. They're hoping I'm not going to need dialysis permanently. If so, they'll put me on a list to get a kidney transplant. I really hope that doesn't come about. I don't like being hooked to that machine three days a week for three to four hours at a time. It's exhausting and I don't have much of an appetite."

"I hope not too, Damon. Listen, your parents came to talk to me. They said you don't remember anything about that night after you left the dance?"

"I really don't. It's just all fuzzy. I kind of remember puking my guts out and I remember running off. I remember feeling like I wanted to die but I don't know how I ended up at the Falls," I turn my eyes down and shake my head. When I raise them back to him, I continue, "Dr. Kimball says I may never remember."

"How do you feel about your brother's role in this?"

"I know I'm not ready to forgive him. I don't even want to look at him," I utter, turning away.

"That's understandable and we'll talk about that more but your parents also told me that the little boy you saved. I guess he would like to see you again. Your parents are very worried about you. They don't want to give their consent unless you think you can handle the emotional aspect of it."

"Michael wants to see me again? Why? I mean, he was only with me a few days before I took him to the police station. We don't really know each other very well."

"Your dad told me that his parents want to thank you for saving their son."

Wringing my hands nervously, I bite my lower lip before answering.

"I'm not real good with that sort of thing, you know?" Nodding slightly, he smiles at me.

"A lot of people have trouble accepting praise, Damon. Would you like to see him again?"

"Yeah, I guess I would. It kind of felt like he was my little brother even though I didn't know him for very long. I just couldn't let them hurt him the way they hurt me," I whisper, covering my mouth when I yawn deeply.

"I see you're tired. I'll see you soon, either at my office or I'll come here again if need be." Standing up, he offers his hand to me. I stare at it for a moment before accepting and offering him my own hand.

"Get some rest, Damon." With that, he walks out of my room.

* * *

"Damon?" I look up when I hear my name.

"Elena? Um, hi."

"Can I come in?" Without taking my eyes from hers, I gesture with my arm for her to come in. I can't help but notice that she's hiding something behind her back. Once she sits down, she looks up at me smiling.

"I brought you a piece of my birthday cake," she reveals, handing it to me.

"I asked the nurse, she said you could eat it. If you want, that is?"

"When was your birthday?"

Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, she answers softly, "Yesterday."

"Happy Birthday Elena. I'm... I'm sorry that I missed it." Looking down at my lap, I have to wonder why she spends so much time with me. I like her so much but I'm still wary and can't quite trust people yet.

Damon?"

"Sorry. I guess I was daydreaming a little bit. How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"We're the same age now," I smile, albeit a little uncomfortably. I feel bad that I couldn't get her anything.

"We are," she acknowledges.

"Have they told you yet when you get to come home?"

"If my kidneys behave, most likely at the end of the week. Part of me can't wait but another part of me doesn't want to have to deal with my family again. I'm not ready to see Stefan yet."

"I understand. I'm not ready to forgive him quite yet either but I will tell you that he feels terrible. He's really, really sorry."

"I'll bet he is," I scoff, turning away.

"I guess we won't talk about him anymore. I see you have Caroline's drawings taped up all over. Have you gotten to see her yet?"

"Her drawings are precious. I'm going to have to take them home with me. They make me happy. And no, I haven't gotten to see her yet. I think they might bring her over later today since I'm out of the ICU."

"I should probably tell you that I told your parents about Tanner," she tells me, her head tipped down not wanting to look me in the eyes.

"Elena? I didn't want them to know."

"I know that, Damon. But they needed to know. He's a teacher and he shouldn't be picking on vulnerable students. He's a predator, when he sees a weakness, he exploits it and goes in for the kill. And it's not just you, he picks on a lot of kids and it needs to stop."

"I guess you're right. How about I have a bite of your cake now?" I ask, noticing how she pushes a strand of hair behind her ears again. It's almost like a nervous habit with her. After she hands me a fork, I open the container and dig in. Covering my mouth as I chew, I tell her how good it is. I finish it off in short order.

"That was really good, Elena. Thank you for thinking of me." When I raise my eyes to hers again, her features bloom a pretty shade of pink.

"Do you want to watch some TV or maybe a movie?"

"I can stay for a little bit. Thanks for asking." Although she pulls a chair close, it's difficult for her to watch the movie on my I pad. After a few seconds of warring with myself on the inside, I scoot over so she can sit on the bed with me. Even though we're barely touching each other, a part of me is jittery with excitement that she's so close while the other part of me is terrified of letting her get any closer. Having taken a liking to ' _The Goonies'_ since Caroline showed it to me, "Is this one okay?" When she looks at the movie I picked, she laughs.

"Caroline right?"

Laughing, I nod, "Yep." Once the movie is done, Elena gets up and slips her jacket on.

"This was fun, Damon. Maybe we can do this again sometime?" she asks, biting on her lower lip.

"Yes it was. Next time we'll have to watch it with Caroline." I joke.

"She'll give us the play by play. Listen, Damon. I have to go. I have some homework to do. I'll see you soon." After staring at me for a few moments, she steps closer and presses a kiss to my cheek. After flashing a wide smile at me, she steps out of my room.

"Goodbye," I whisper, softly touching my cheek where she kissed me. I feel both a sense of awe and a feeling of sadness with her departure..

* * *

"Damon!" Caroline squeals as she runs into my room. Almost faster than the eye can see, she pushes a chair to my bedside, using it to climb up and onto my bed. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she squeezes tightly, pressing a kiss to my cheek. Without a moments hesitation, I wrap my arms around her, hugging her back.

"Well hello," I whisper, my eyes closed just taking in this moment. When she lets go of my neck, she puts her little hands on either side of my face. "I loves you Damon."

Smiling, I mouth, 'I love you too' right back to her. I look up when I see mom and dad walk into my room.

"She wouldn't stop hounding us till we brought her over. It looks like someone is happy to see you," mom says, winking at me.

"I'm happy to see her too," I admit. I pull her beside me on the bed and wrap an arm around her. With my arm, I motion for her to look at her pictures.

"See, mom and dad put them up so I can look at them anytime I want to. Thank you for drawing them for me."

"Yous welcome. Whens you comin' home?"

"I don't know for sure Caroline," I answer uneasily.

"But I wants you to come home."

Deciding to be honest, "I'm a little afraid to come home." With that admission, my mom and dad both frown. Dad steps closer, taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

"Is it because of us or your brother?" dad asks. Turning away, I stare down at my now clasped hands.

"Him," I answer, sheepishly.

"Who's him?" Caroline asks, looking at both dad and me.

Since I don't want to poison her mind against Stefan, I whisper, "No one really. Um, people that are in my nightmares."

"I help you with them."

"I know you do, Caroline." When I feel the bed dip, I realize that mom is sitting on the other side at the foot of the bed. When I look up, she's staring at my dad.

"Damon, it'll be okay. I promise," she says, reaching for my hand. I stare at it then at her before finally offering mine to her.

"Chris is going to come again this weekend to see you so you have that to look forward to. Hopefully you'll be at home."

"Oh hello, my name is Lisa. I'm Damon's nurse today. I have some medication for you." After scanning my ID bracelet and the medication's barcode, she hands it to me along with a fresh glass of water.

"What's that?" dad asks.

"It's his Prednisone."

"Oh yes, Dr. Kimball explained that to us. Thank you Lisa."

"Anytime. Call me if you need something, Damon. It was nice meeting you all," she says then steps out of the room. Shortly after she walks out, we all look up when we hear another rap on my door frame.

Standing up, dad walks over giving him a pat on the shoulder, "Hey buddy," he greets me.

"Jenna is in the ED. They think she has appendicitis so I just thought I'd run up here quickly while she's having a CT scan," he says, gesturing at me with his outstretched arm. "How are you?"

"Um, pretty good I guess. Thank you for helping to save me, Mr. Saltzman. It means a lot to me. I hope everything goes okay with your wife."

"You're welcome, Damon. Jenna is a tough cookie, she'll be fine." Glancing at his watch, "I just wanted to say hi so I'm going to run back downstairs now. We'll talk soon, Damon," he remarks, tipping his head slightly at me before walking out of the door.

* * *

Although anxious and albeit a little shakily, I reach up and turn the doorknob. When I step inside, I'm bombarded with confetti just as the house erupts with applause and "Welcome home, Damon" is yelled aloud. Taken aback, my eyes are wide and my mouth drops agape seeing all of the people that are here.

"Um, thank you," I utter, my voice cracking a little. Looking down when I feel someone grab my hand, I see that it's Caroline who pulls me to the couch before jumping up to sit beside me. Looking around, I notice Stefan staring but he turns away as soon as our eyes meet. Exhaling a deep breath, I'm overwhelmed that my family did this for me.

"Hey buddy," Chris says, taking a seat on the other side of me. Squeezing my leg gently, we share a moment then he lets go.

"Is Amanda here?"

"No, she had to work this weekend. She tried but she couldn't get out of it. She sends her love."

"Damon?" I look up to see Jeremy.

"I never got a chance to thank you for helping to save me. Thank you," I tell him sincerely, my hands twisting anxiously in my lap.

"What kind of a friend would I be if I hadn't helped? I'm just glad Elena remembered that she took you to the falls once. If she hadn't, we may not be having this celebration now."

"I didn't know. Is she here?" I ask, looking around.

"She might be. Jenna just got home from the hospital too."

"I hope your aunt is okay?"

"She is. She's actually coming over too for a few minutes. I have a date tonight so I'm going to run but Damon, please know that if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm only a phone call away."

"Thanks so much Jeremy. I'll remember that."

"Do. Have fun and we'll talk soon." Turning around, I watch as he says hello to my parents before walking out of the door. Left by myself for a few moments, I look around till I see Elena laughing and smiling with Caroline. For reasons I don't yet understand, Elena's presence is calming. Smiling inside, I watch them for a few moments. Caroline squeals about something, grabs Elena's hand and tugs her upstairs. Our eyes meet for a few seconds. Smiling, she shrugs her shoulders playfully, pointing to Caroline. Once they disappear at the top of the stairs, I realize that it's been a long afternoon. Feeling thoroughly exhausted, I trudge up the steps myself, step into my bedroom and collapse onto the bed.

They took out my dialysis catheter before I left the hospital. I have to go back to have my blood checked in a few days. I barely had time to acknowledge Stefan other than a subtle glance here and there. With all the company we've had today, it was easy to avoid him. Although my body is screaming with fatigue, I push myself a little harder. I get up and take a shower, slip on a clean pair of pajama pants and practically dive under the covers. In no time at all, I'm sound asleep. Only this time it's not nightmares that fill my subconscious, it's the beautiful brown eyes of the girl next door.

* * *

 _Thank you Eva. Thank you all for your amazing reviews. DE are coming. Damon has been so emotionally battered. It's hard for him to reconcile the fact that so many people love him so much. It takes time to heal so bear with me._

 _'Baba O'Riley' aka 'Teenage Wasteland' is my favorite 'The Who' song._

 _I have updated 'The Unforgiven' and 'Shatter Me'. I hope you'll give those a look too. Remember to click that review button. Your reviews are what keep me engaged. As I said, I'm not ready to bid DE adieu just yet._

 _Still working on the two new stories. Once they get closer to completion, I'll give you a peak. I prefer to wait to post till I'm done writing them. That alleviates the pressure of having to write something, anything just to be able to post. I can write at my own pace without undue pressure and you all never have to worry whether or not you'll get to read the ending. I really thank all of you who support my stories. I appreciate it so much._

 _I hope you all have a safe and lovely weekend. Fall is almost upon us. I don't know where the time goes... Until next time..._


	16. If You Don't Know Me By Now

"Are you ready to go back to school?" my dad asks, taking a seat at the breakfast table between me and Stefan.

Without bothering to look up, I mumble, "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Finish getting dressed when you're done eating and then I'll drive you and Stefan to school. I have a meeting with Mr. Lockwood this morning."

"Dad?"

"There will be no arguments, Damon. Tanner will stop bullying you one way or another." Grimacing, I sigh heavily before continuing to eat my breakfast, wondering what the fallout will be from dad's meeting. If he didn't already treat me like a damn bug to be squashed with his boots, he certainly will after my dad has a word with him. I hate the man. He thrives on belittling people but I don't want it to get any worse either. I really want to trust my dad to help me out with this. After putting my dirty dishes in the sink, I run upstairs to brush my teeth and grab my backpack. I'm really nervous as this is my first day back. Exhaling deeply, I glance at myself in the mirror. Shaking my head, I turn out the bathroom light then walk downstairs. Just as I get to the last step, I hear Elena's voice.

"Hey."

Although I feel the familiar tendrils of anxiety as they start to slither through my body, I can't help but smile back, turning away suddenly when dad walks into the foyer. Standing next to Elena with keys in hand, he look towards the top of the stairs.

"Are we ready to go, dad?"

"As soon as Stefan gets down here," he adds, once again looking up towards the stairs when we hear a commotion up there.

"Are you okay?" dad yells.

Finally stepping out of his room near the top of the bannister, Stefan replies, "I'm fine. I just knocked one of the boxes off my dresser." As soon as dad raises his voice telling him to hurry up, he slowly reaches down to pick up his backpack. Staring at me, he trots down the steps, walking right past Elena and me to the door. He turns around before he turns the doorknob.

"You coming?"

"Um, yeah," I utter, tentatively using my palm to urge Elena to go first. Dad follows along behind me. As soon as we step into the school building, I see Tanner smirking like the 'Grinch Who Stole Christmas'. That's another one of the shows Caroline made me watch with her.

"Ah Salvatore, you're back! It's going to be a delicious day," he starts to gloat, suddenly silent when he sees my dad following behind me.

"You were saying, Mr. Tanner?" Dad asks, playing along.

"Nothing Mr. Salvatore, I'll see you all in class," he mutters before slinking off like a scared rabbit.

"You kids go to your classrooms. I'm going to go to my meeting with Mr. Lockwood." He looks away from me for a moment before turning back and putting his hand on my shoulder.

"And Damon, you keep your head held high, okay?"

Nodding vigorously, Stefan steps up beside me. "I'll tell them to shut up if the kids start anything," he says, eyeing me.

"Come on, let's go," he utters, nudging me along. Elena grabs onto my elbow, following the two of us down the hall. With the two of them hovering, my nerves are alight much to my dismay. Knowing I have to keep my temper under wraps, I close my eyes for just a second. 'Slow deep breaths, Damon', I say to myself as we continue the trek to Tanner's classroom. As soon as we get there, they finally give me some breathing room. I quickly take my seat, breathing in a few puffs of air to try to get my wits about me. I barely have my emotions under control when Tanner comes strolling in the room flashing a shit eating grin right at me.

* * *

Joe:

"Come in, Mr. Salvatore. How can I help you today?"

"I'm here to talk about Mr. Tanner. I've been made aware of the fact that he harasses Damon both inappropriately and relentlessly. I'm told he's even gone so far as to stick his foot out causing my son to fall and then laughing about it. I've also been told that he has tormented other kids but his current target is my son."

"Mr. Salvatore, I can't believe one of our teachers would behave in such an inappropriate manner."

"Are you calling me a liar, Mr. Lockwood?"

"Calm down."

"I will not calm down. Both Stefan and Elena have told me how he enjoys humiliating Damon. Don't you think my son has been through enough without having to deal with this bullshit when he's at school? Kids are supposed to feel safe when they're here. They are not supposed to be mistreated and especially not by an authority figure," I say, my voice deadly serious as I stare at him.

"I will talk to him after school today. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Now is there anything else you needed to talk to me about?"

Staring at him tensely, I lean my palms on his desktop and get into his face.

"Either you do something about it or I will go over your head to the school board. That's not a threat, it's a promise. You'll both be pounding the pavement by the time I'm done with the two of you." After watching him swallow thickly, I stand up and walk out of his office.

* * *

Damon: (A few days later.)

"Happy Birthday Damon!" I hear when I step into the house, Stefan and Elena following behind me. It was a long day at school and I'm tired. And it's not my birthday!

"Um, it's not my birthday," I protest, as I walk into the room. There's a cake with a the numbers one and seven on it. Presents are surrounding it.

"It's not my birthday," I repeat, shaking my head in confusion. Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder. When I shudder, mom pulls her hand away.

"Damon, I was there too. You were born at three thirty one AM on April eighteenth, 1998."

Shaking my head back and forth, "No, my birthday is July seventh."

"No Damon, it's not. Is that what ' _they_ ' told you?"

"Ye...yes," I stutter. Starting to feel caged in again, my nerves betray me again, so much so that I can feel my body quiver slightly. Just as I'm about to run, Caroline takes a hold of my hand.

"Happy Birthday, Damon. Open my present first," she squeals, wrapping her arms around my middle.

"O...okay, Caroline," I whisper, stunned to realize that almost my whole life feels like it has been one great big lie.

"Yippie," she yells, jumping up and down. Grabbing onto my hand again, she pulls me over to the table to look at the cake. After practically shoving me into the chair, she hands me a present.

"Um, maybe they want cake first?"

"No," she tells me, crossing her arms. When I look up, I see that everyone else has taken a seat at the table too, including Elena. I was so focused on Caroline that I hadn't even noticed. Handing me her present, I take it from her with shaky hands.

"I'll help you," she says, nodding her head.

"I'd like that." Using her little hands, she practically shreds the paper as she unveils what she got me. I can't stop the chuckle that escapes my mouth when I see a blu ray DVD of ' _The Goonies'._ There's also a box of microwave popcorn, a bag of M&M's and a bag of red Twizzlers.

"Now we can watch it in your room too."

After giving her a little squeeze, I tell her thank you. Before I can even blink my eyes, she hands me an envelope. Looking around at the table, I inhale a slow deep breath as I try to get my feelings under control. I just want to get this over and done with so I can run up to my room and lock the door. The card is from Elena along with an 'I Tunes' card.

"You can buy movies, TV shows or music with that to put on your I pad," she explains, her voice soft and comforting.

"Thank you, Elena. You didn't have to but I appreciate the thought." When I look at her, she's smiling at me. Biting on my lower lip, I look away after a couple of seconds when my little sister shoves another present at me. My eyes widen when I see that it's from Stefan. He and I haven't spoken much since that night. We're just kind of co-existing at this point. I guess I'll have to ask Dr. Mikaelson about it. I nearly died that night and I just don't know how to forgive him. It's another blu ray movie and another I tunes card. The movie is called ' _Jurassic Park'._

"Mom said that you loved dinosaurs when you were a little boy. If you still do, you'll love that movie, Damon. Maybe we could watch it together sometime?"

"Um, sure." I reply, reading the back of the DVD sleeve.

"It looks pretty cool. Thank you." When I look at him, he tries to smile. For the first time, I see a hint of remorse in his eyes. It's a start.

"Here you are, Damon," My dad says, setting a big box on the floor in front of me.

"What's this?"

"Open it."

Raising my eyebrows at him, I exhale a shuddering breath. Caroline helps me to pull the paper off of it. It's a small TV, blu ray DVD player combination.

"Wow," I utter, shocked that they spent so much on me.

"It's too much."

"It's your birthday, Damon. We've missed so many of them, we wanted to make this one special for you. Please let us."

"O.. okay."

"Do we gets to eat cake now?" Caroline suddenly asks.

"Yes dear," my mother says, lighting the candles. They all sing happy birthday then my dad hands me a knife and some paper plates while my mom gets the ice cream and hands out spoons. After blowing out the candles, I start cutting the cake, plating up a piece at a time and handing one to everyone. Mom goes around and puts a scoop of ice cream on each plate.

"This is yummy," Caroline mutters, her mouth both full of and smudged with cake. I can't help but laugh. Dad has been recording most of my 'party' with his cell phone.

Squeezing my shoulder, he stoops down next to me.

"Happy birthday, son. Thank you for letting us do this." Struggling to keep a tear on the inside, I can only nod. When everyone is done eating, I thank everyone then run upstairs seeking the refuge that only my room offers.

* * *

"How are you, Damon?" Dr. Mikaelson asks when I walk into his office for our weekly appointment.

"I'm okay I guess. I have to go back to the Dr. tomorrow and have my kidneys checked again."

"I see. How is everything going at home? Specifically, how are things with your brother?"

"I guess you could say that Stefan and I are just being if that makes any sense? He did give me a birthday present," I reveal, shaking my head.

"That's another thing, all the time I was with ' _them_ ', they told me my birthday was July seventh. I just found out, I was really born on April eighteenth. Almost my whole life has been a lie."

"I can't explain why those people did the things they did, Damon. I don't know if you'll ever get answers from them. But as far as Stefan goes, do you want to make peace with him?"

"Yes and no. I mean, he is my brother but I don't understand why he hated me enough to want me dead."

"I seriously doubt that he meant for any of this to happen. He's just a kid who made a really bad choice. I'm not going to push you to forgive him. That will take time and he'll need to earn your trust but don't give me a blanket statement about never being able to forgive him. Be the better man, Damon."

Staring at him, I just nod my acceptance.

"Good. Now let's move on. I'm told that the trial is coming up for the people who took you. Are you prepared to see _'them'_ again?"

"No," I rasp, my voice filled with fear.

"Chris told me that he was going to try to get the judge to let me testify in a separate room so I won't have to look at them."

"You need to prepare yourself in case that doesn't happen. Your parents asked me to bring up something else with you too. Apparently the parents of the little boy you saved want to meet you. How do you feel about that?"

Speechless, I just shake my head back and forth with purpose. After several seconds, I whisper, "I can't."

"Why do you feel that you can't?"

"Well because, I...I.. I just can't," I reply, shuddering when I feel my body bristling with panic.

"Calm down Damon. No one is going to force you to meet with them. Is it okay if I have a word about it with your parents? I told you what you say here is confidential so that's why I'm asking for your permission."

"Yeah, you can talk to them. I just can't see him," I croak, unconsciously pulling at my hair.

"Breathe, in through your nose, out through your mouth. You're safe here." After a few minutes of just concentrating on my breathing, I finally calm down.

"That's good, Damon. Let's call it a day. I think you've had enough emotional turmoil for one day. I want you to go home and do something that you enjoy."

"Okay." I stand up when he stands up so I can follow him to the door. He opens it, gesturing for me to step out. Just as I do, I see my dad stepping into the office. He's here to take me home.

"We'll see you next week, Damon. Mr. Salvatore, I'd like you and your wife to come in sometime in the next couple of days. Damon asked me to speak to you about some things that are bothering him," he tells my dad, all the while looking at me.

"I'll talk to Millie tonight and give you a call tomorrow." Elijah and Dad make eye contact. After the Dr. gives dad an affirming nod, he nudges me out of his office.

* * *

Millie:

"Come on in Chris. We were expecting you awhile ago. Did you have any trouble on the drive?"

"No, I just had a late start. Amanda and I had some great news that we had to share with our families. We're going to be parents."

"Congratulations Chris. That's fabulous news."

"Thank you, Millie. After our families, you're the first to know. So how is our boy doing?"

"He has a Dr. appt. tomorrow. They're going to check his blood work again, specifically his kidney function. If they're still off, he's going to have to have a renal biopsy."

"Oh Lord, he doesn't need that on top of everything else."

"No, he really doesn't."

"Is he here?"

"No, he's across the street with Stefan and Caroline. I do think he's a bit smitten with Elena but I also think he's scared of her. I'm sick that Damon may have life long effects from what Stefan did but I will say that he's really making an effort to make it up to Damon."

"Yeah, Damon needs his family in his corner, especially now with the trial starting in two weeks. I'm sorry Millie but they had pre-trial motions last week. Judge Forbes ruled that Damon will have to testify in open court. He will have to face the Parkers and I shudder to think of how he's going to react to that news."

"Oh no," I answer him, my shoulders visibly slumping.

"Where are my manners? Have a seat, Chris. If you want, you can take your things up to 'your' room?"

"Thanks Millie. Is it okay if I take a shower? It was a long drive."

"Chris, you don't have to ask. You're family." He smiles at me before walking up the stairs. I watch him till he disappears at the top of the stairs. I jump when I hear the front door slam. I turn around, smiling when I see Damon and Caroline walk into the house. Stefan follows not long after. At least he and Damon are speaking to each other right now even if it is tentative at best.

"Where's Chris?" Damon asks looking around.

"He was pretty tired and wanted to take a shower. I'm sure he'll be down in a little while. You look tired, Damon. You can take a short nap before supper too if you want."

"I think I will." He uses his hand to wave at Caroline before jogging up the staircase.

* * *

Damon:

"Damon, your mom and dad told me they talked to Dr. Mikaelson about Michael. You don't want to see him?"

"I do want to see him but I just can't, not yet. He was really the catalyst for all of this upheaval in my life. I know it's not his fault, he's just a little boy but..."

"Hey, it's okay, Damon," he tells me, gently patting the top of my leg. After having supper, mom shushed Stefan and Caroline upstairs so Chris could talk to the three of us. My foot is bouncing against the floor rhythmically as I wait for him to give us whatever bad news he's shielding from me. My fingernails are also tapping the table. Somehow I know that whatever they're going to tell me here isn't going to be good.

"Calm down, Damon. It's obvious that you're pretty agitated. I'm sorry to add to that but Judge Forbes ruled that you have to testify in open court. The DA and I did everything we could but she ruled for the defense."

"WHAT?" I ask, stunned, flying out my chair. I run to the bathroom just off of the kitchen. Without slamming the door shut, I drop to my knees, spilling my guts in the toilet. Mom flies in behind me. Grabbing a washcloth, she wets it under the cold running water. After wringing it out, she gently places it against my neck. I start to hyperventilate after losing my insides a second time. Once my gut finally settles, I try to stand up but collapse to the floor when my knees give out.

Mom rushes out but comes back in mere moments, Chris following behind. Reaching down, he lifts me up, half dragging me back to one of the kitchen chairs. It takes seconds for my gut to start churning chaotically again. Shakily I stand up and run back into the bathroom but this time only bile comes out as I retch repeatedly. After taking several long deep breaths, I shakily try to stand up. Once I'm upright, my legs betray me again, causing me to crash to the floor a second time. My eyes feel like they're floating to the back of my head signaling the darkness.

* * *

"We'll rush these blood tests to the lab," the nurse says as she puts a bandaid on my arm where she took my blood. Standing up, she tells us to follow her. She leads us into an office. After telling us to have a seat, she tells us that Dr. Kimball will be in shortly. Gripping the arms of the chair, I just stare straight ahead as we wait to hear if I'm going to need any more dialysis treatments. My eyes are about to drift closed because I didn't sleep well the last couple of nights after Chris's news. He had to go home yesterday but said he'd call me in a couple of days. I've never seen him so happy as he was when he told me that Amanda was going to have a baby.

I'm happy for them. He deserves it. Although I feel ashamed, a part of me is jealous of that little baby knowing that he or she will get to call Chris dad. What will happen to me after the baby comes? I know he won't be driving up to see me as often as he has been. Hell, he may even distance himself from me after the trial. No Damon, don't think like that, I utter silently to myself. Chris is your friend. My reverie is broken when I hear Dr. Kimball greet us.

"Mrs. Salvatore, Damon," he greets then takes a seat behind his desk. Well, your labs still higher than I'd like them to be but your BUN and Creatinine are slightly lower than the last time we checked them. I'm going to have you come back next week. If your kidney function tests are still abnormal, we'll have to do the renal biopsy. It's also called a needle biopsy. We stick a needle in your side here," he explains, pointing to a spot on his abdomen.

"We use ultrasound to locate the spot and then I'll take a sample using a biopsy needle. You can do that as an outpatient at the hospital. The kidneys are very vascular so they monitor you for awhile just to make sure you don't hemorrhage. You'll be able to go home after a few hours barring any complications. But let's not worry about that till we check your labs next week.

Staring at my mom, I turn to him, "Um.. okay."

"I did want to ask you about the scars on your back Damon. I could set up an appointment with a plastic surgeon if you'd like." My mouth drops agape. Did he just tell my mom about my scars?

It feels like I'm in a daze when I hear my mom's voice.

"We saw them when you were sedated, Damon." Mom tells me, reaching to place her hand on my forearm. Pulling away, I stare at Dr. Kimball. Unable to say anything, I just stare straight ahead, feeling tendrils of shame as they weave and encircle everything living inside my body.

"I also wanted to ask you about your limp. I know it's almost imperceptible. Your parents hadn't even noticed till I brought it up to them. That limp is a result of a poorly healed broken leg. One of your legs is a tad bit shorter than the other one because of it. We can order you a lift for your shoe. Surely you have pain in that leg as well as your other fractures."

"Fractures?" I whisper.

"Yes Damon, you've had several poorly healed fractures." Swallowing thickly, I stare at him and then quickly glance at my mom. When I see that look that I never wanted to see, poison erupts inside me. Flying out of my chair, I run out of his office and out of the building, taking off down the street before my mom can even begin to catch up with me.

* * *

I ran all the way home, locking myself in my room. I didn't come out till it was late. Only sneaking downstairs for something to eat when I heard my mom and dad's bedroom door close. I didn't ever want them to know what Kai and Jo did to me. They're all going to be walking on eggshells around me again. I couldn't even open the door for Caroline, not even when she started crying. Finally I heard my dad come to talk to her, taking her away from the threshold of my door.

When morning finally comes, I begrudgingly get up and go downstairs to eat some breakfast. My answers are curt so they don't try to engage me in anymore conversation after that. While walking to school, I keep at least a yard's length behind Stefan and Elena. I just can't face them right now. Unfortunately I'm going to have to deal with Tanner again. Since my dad talked to him, he hasn't been friendly by any means but he hasn't taunted me either.

After sitting through his long boring class, I get up, grab my books and start to walk to the door, crashing to the floor when I trip over Tanner's out stretched foot. I know he did it on purpose when he breaks out in hysterical laughter along with the rest of the class. When he looks at me with his smug, self satisfied smirk, I feel the venom surging up my spine. As I continue to stare at him, all the while hearing the laughter reverberate through the classroom, he suddenly morphs into Kai. Shaking my head, I look back at him to see that it is Tanner who's laughing at me. Without even realizing it, my hands fist behind my back. When he turns away, I reach around and slug him in the face with my closed fist.

"You bastard," I yell, continuing to pummel him, fighting back for the first time in my life. After I get in a couple of good punches, I'm suddenly stopped when someone bear hugs me from behind, pulling me away from him.

"Stop Damon! You'll get expelled," Stefan yells. Breathing heavily, I wipe the sweat from my brow. When I look around the room, everyone is staring at me, their mouths hanging open. But it's Elena's tears that take me out at the knees as I collapse onto the floor, pulling Stefan along with me.

* * *

 _And Damon fought back..._

 _How many of you know the significance of April 18th? It's the date of Paul Revere's famous ride..._

 _Thank you Eva for everything. You are truly the best. Thank you all. Your reviews are so important to me._

 _'Shatter Me' updated yesterday. 'The Unforgiven' will update tomorrow. Please give those a look and remember to hit that review button._

 _I hope you all have a lovely day and weekend. Stay safe and we'll see you right back here next week._


	17. True Colors

"Are you okay, Damon?" When I nod, Stefan says softly, "He deserved it." I'm panting as I struggle to catch my breath.

"Move away, Stefan," Tanner sneers, wiping away the blood that's running out of his nose.

"NO! You're not picking on my brother any more. It ends right this moment or you'll have me to answer to," Stefan yells right back at him. Suddenly the classroom door flies open. I continue to pant as I make no effort to stand up just yet. Mr. Saltzman stares at Tanner and then at Stefan and I sprawled on the floor in a heap.

"Come on everyone. Leave now," he tells the other kids. After they're all out of the room except for us and Elena, he turns on Tanner.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. That crazy kid attacked me."

"You lying piece of shit," Elena yells, marching right over to stand beside Ric.

"He intentionally stuck his foot out so Damon would trip," she tells Ric but doesn't take her eyes off of Tanner.

"She's lying!"

"No she's not," Stefan adds. Standing up, he offers me his hand. I look at it for a moment before taking it and letting him help me up. I bend over, pressing my palms to my thighs, finally straightening up when I catch my breath at last. Once again we all turn to the door when we hear it slam shut again.

"Explain," Principal Lockwood says as his eyes skim over all of us.

"Mr. Tanner tripped Damon AGAIN! Damon let him have it," Elena reveals standing face to face with him.

"Is that true?" He asks, his eyes finally turning to glare at Tanner. The bastard doesn't say a word, all he does is level his venomous stare at me again.

"Mr. Tanner, is Elena telling the truth?" he repeats.

"It was an accident," he snaps.

"That's bullshit," Stefan adds.

"I saw you snickering after Damon crashed to the floor."

"Damon and Stefan go to my office. I'll be there shortly."

"But they didn't do anything wrong?" Elena protests.

Ric continues, "You can't let Tanner get away with this. He's picked on kids in this school for much too long. If you let him get away with this, I'll go to the school board myself even if it costs me my job."

Turning his attention to Tanner, "You have no business being a teacher. You're a smug, self righteous, SOB," Ric snaps at him, disgust evident in his voice.

"Mr. Lockwood, are you going to allow him to speak to me this way?" Tanner demands to know from the Principal.

"Damon, Stefan and Elena, go to my office now," Mr. Lockwood repeats himself, pointing us towards the door. When I stoop down to pick up my books and backpack, Stefan does the same, helping me get them in order. Once we're standing, I look at Mr. Saltzman who nods at us to do what the Principal told us to do. We all stand still for a few seconds before we walk out of the classroom together.

* * *

The three of us are sitting in the Principal's office when dad bursts into the room. Stooping down in front of me, he palms my face causing me to grimace. I must have an abrasion or something as that's where I hit the floor first when the teacher from hell tripped me.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice emotional.

"Yeah," I utter, turning away. I hear him exhale heavily before he stands up.

"Will you tell me what happened?" When Stefan sees me struggling to speak, he interrupts.

"Dad, it wasn't Damon's fault. Tanner tripped him again and then he started laughing like a mad man, egging on the rest of the class. He deserved it. I only wish that it had been me that punched him"

"I believe you. Why are you here, Elena?" he asks, turning to face her.

"I called Tanner a 'lying piece of shit'," she tells him, crossing her arms with pride just as Mr. Lockwood and Ric step into the office.

"Tyler, I told you a long time ago that Tanner was going to cause trouble for the school district but you refused to listen. Now there will be hell to pay," Ric spits out, clearly disgusted.

"Do you mean to tell me you knew that Tanner was tormenting and preying on young children before I spoke to you about it?" my dad yells.

"Mr. Salvatore, would you please quit yelling."

"Oh no, I'm in no mood to quiet down. I will be speaking to my lawyer about this and I will be going to the school board. It's outrageous that you would keep him on staff when you were previously made aware of his behavior. What the hell is the matter with you?" My dad goes ballistic when Mr. Lockwood rolls his eyes at him.

Fisting his shirt and pulling him into his face, my dad's voice sounds deadly.

"Tanner is going down and you're going with him you little weasel." Dad then lets him go with a shove.

"Ric, thank you for your help. Boys, let's go," dad adds, giving me a nudge towards the door. Once we're out of his office, Ric proceeds to follow us outside.

"Joe, I'll be of any assistance that I can. Just let me know what you need." Taking Elena by the crook of the elbow, he leads her a little ways from us. After whispering a few things in her ear, he gives her a hug.

"I'll see you at home, Elena. Damon, Stefan, I'll see you two tomorrow." After acknowledging us, he walks back into the building to finish the school day.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, I'm sitting in my bedroom, just tossing a ball up in the air and catching it. I have too much nervous energy to do anything. Just as I'm about to put my shoes on and go for a run to work some of it off, I hear a rap on my door. Shrugging my shoulders, I exhale sharply then get up to see who's there. My eyes widen when I see Elena standing there.

"Hi Damon. Can I come in?"

"Um, sure," I reply, stepping aside to allow her to pass. I can't help but remember her tears from earlier. I don't know why but it would really bother me if I disappointed her.

"I'm sorry that I made you cry," I blurt out.

"You didn't make me cry," she reassures me.

Reaching up to pat the sore spot on my face gently with her fingertips, she smiles sweetly, "I just came over to see how you are. Your cheek is still swollen."

"Elena?" I whisper, staring at her eyes and then at her lips as she moves ever closer to me. Our lips meet tentatively at first then more firmly till I pull back, panting.

"I like kissing you," she whispers, stealing one more kiss from my lips.

"I...I... like to kiss you too," I utter, not believing that I'm actually admitting that out loud. Just as I lean in once more, Caroline bursts into the room interrupting the moment.

"Hi Elena," she screams, running towards her.

"Will you watch a movie with me?"

"Of course, Caroline. Do you want Damon to watch too?"

"Not today. He doesn't like my movies," she pouts.

"That's not true. I always watch movies with you," I protest although I know she's still mad at me for keeping her out of my room that night.

"I just want Elena." Caroline grabs a hold of Elena's wrist, pulling her out of the room. Shutting the door behind them, I change into my running shoes and a pair of shorts, grab my I pod and take off down the stairs. I just need to clear my head and running seems to help calm my nerves a bit too. Elijah suggested I do some sort of exercise when my anxiety feels overwhelming. I'm also nervous because Chris and his partner are driving up to ask me some questions about the Parkers, official police business if I understood him correctly.

Once I get my shoes tied, I jog down the stairs go outside and take off down the street, listening to music as my feet pound the pavement. Without realizing it, I find myself back in the park where it all began. I stop for a minute to really look at the place, my hands resting on my thighs as I'm stooped over, catching my breath. Looking around, I'm surprised to see Jeremy walking towards me.

"Hi Damon." Taking a swallow from my water bottle, I wipe my mouth off then tell him hi.

"Elena told me what happened at school. I'm going to talk to your dad about my experience with Tanner. Elena said he mentioned suing the school district."

"Yeah, he did say something about that but I don't know if he was serious or not?"

"I hope he does. Would you like to sit down a little bit?"

"Um, sure." I reply, following him over to one of the picnic tables. Taking a seat opposite him, he stares at me for a second.

"Listen Damon, I know Tanner more than earned the punches you reined down on him but I'm sure Elijah told you that people like you and me need to learn to control our tempers. I have a short fuse too and I'm actually pretty proud of you for not taking his bullshit anymore. I just don't want you to lash out at someone you really care about," he tells me, taking a drink of his soda.

"I did lash out once, Damon. Elena and I were arguing and in my anger I gave her a shove. She fell down the stairs and broke her arm. It wasn't a bad break but it was still a broken arm. Although Elena forgave me almost immediately, I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. I don't want you to have to live with a lifetime of regret too."

"I'm sorry, Jeremy. I don't want to do that either but there are things that I wanted to be kept a secret. Now my whole family knows what happened to me. I feel so ashamed that I just let them do that to me."

"Who's them?"

"The people that took me, the Parkers," I whisper, turning my eyes away from him.

"Hey, you don't have to feel embarrassed with me. Damon, you were just a little boy. You need to learn to let go of that guilt. It belongs to them, not you. Believe me, I know that's easier said than done and it took me a long time and many sessions with Elijah to find peace. I really hope you can find that same sense of serenity that I feel now," he says, his voice sincere as he squeezes my forearm gently.

"Just take it one day at a time. You'll get there eventually."

"Thanks Jeremy. I appreciate it. Um Jeremy, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he replies, giving me his full attention.

"I like Elena a lot. Would it be okay if I ask her out sometime? I mean, it won't be for awhile, I'm still a little scared of girls but I want to get to know her better."

"Relax Damon. She likes you too. And as far as I'm concerned, I don't have a problem if you want to ask her out at some point. Again, I say to you, one day, one step at a time." Standing up, I turn my I pod back on.

Just as I'm about to take off on a run again, he steps in front of me.

"Just remember, you can call me any time. Okay?"

Nodding, I tell him goodbye then take off down the path jogging my way around the perimeter of the park before turning around to go back home.

* * *

"Chris?" I utter when I open the front door.

"Hello Damon. I'd like you to meet Detective Sam Gerard."

"Hi," I utter shaking his hand tersely after he extends his arm to me. "Come in," I tell them, eyeing Chris as they step inside my house.

"Are your parents home, Damon?" Chris asks, looking around.

"They'll be home in a little bit. They had an appointment with their lawyer about school.

"Are things any better there?"

"Yes, but my dad told me that Tanner is on leave of absence. Apparently he belongs to some union and because of that, they can't just fire him. I really don't understand it all but I guess he has his own lawyer too," I explain to Chris what dad told us.

"But me and Stefan got moved to Mr. Saltzman's class. My friend, Elena is still in the other class though because Mr. Saltzman is her uncle by marriage." After giving my shoulder a quick squeeze, he tells me that he's glad that at least I no longer have to put up with Tanner's antics.

"Do you want something to drink?" I ask nervously.

"Sure Damon. That would be great. Sam?"

"Anything you have," he replies. Nodding, I walk into the kitchen. Gripping the edge of the sink, I squeeze it till my knuckles turn white as I try to swallow back some of my anxiety. I'm concentrating so hard that I don't even hear Chris when he walks into the kitchen.

"Damon? Come on, sit down," he tells me, pulling out a chair and guiding me to it.

"We have some good news and some other business to discuss. Judge Forbes reversed her decision. You are almost an adult so you will still have to face _'them'_ when you give your testimony. However, she is going to close the courtroom while you're on the stand. Michael because of his age will be able to testify via closed circuit," Chris explains, his eyes on mine.

"You won't have to look at them. Just keep your eyes on mine or on your parents while you're testifying," he adds. After I suck in a breath and nod, he continues.

"We're also here to ask you a few questions about the Parkers. We'll wait for Joe and Millie to get here so just try to relax while we wait okay?"

"Thanks Chris," I utter, dropping my head into my hands. When I hear the kitchen door open, I look up to see mom and dad walk in followed by Stefan and Caroline. They all greet Chris. Caroline seems to have a little crush on him as she always climbs on his lap when he's here just as she's doing now.

"How's my favorite little girl?" he asks, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a 'Hershey bar' for her. Her eyes widen when she tears into the candy bar.

"What do you say, Caroline?" mom chides her gently.

"Thank you," she whispers, burying her head in his chest. Chris is smiling ear to ear.

"Stefan, why don't you take Caroline upstairs? I think Chris needs to talk to the three of us," she asks him.

"Sure mom. Come on Caroline. I'll watch a ' _Frozen_ ' with you." When she takes off up the stairs, he looks at me and gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Um, take it easy, Damon."

"Thanks," I reply a bit dumbfounded. Standing up, Chris tells us that he's going to go into the other room to get his partner. Mom starts a pot of coffee. Dad takes a seat next to me, giving me a nod. Looking down at my hands, clenched in fear on my lap. Suddenly I start to tremble. Dad reaches over, squeezing my shoulder to ground me a bit.

"Just remember that you're safe now, son," he reassures me. All I can do is nod but my hands are still clammy and tremoring on my lap. Chris and Detective Gerard walk back into the kitchen and take a seat. After mom pours all of the adults a cup of coffee, she sits down too.

"I might as well just start with what we know," Chris begins.

"A male child's skeletal remains were found on the Parker's property. Damon, do you know of any other children that the Parker's brought into their home after you got there other than Michael?"

"No," I tell him, adamantly shaking my head back and forth.

"What about before they took you? Did they ever mention another child?"

Fisting my hair with my hands, I stare at the table below me for a long time.

"I remember a couple of times when mom, I mean Jo would mention the name Danny like she was talking about someone else even though I was right there. One time, I snuck into their room and saw a picture of a little boy but after they caught me, I never saw it again.

 _"What the hell are you doing in here?" she asks, marching up to me, hands fisted._

 _"I was just looking around. I saw his picture. It says Danny on it," I answer as I point to the picture shakily. Sending me flying with a backhand across the face, she yells that it's none of my business. While yelling at me to stay put, she steps into the closet, holding a belt when she comes out. I jump off the bed and cower in the corner. I curl tighter into a ball with each lash of the belt._

"Damon?"

"Wha... what?" I ask, coming out of the flashback.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," I utter, shaking my head from side to side before jumping out of my chair and running outside, panting as I try to catch my breath.

"Damon, you're not okay," Mom says, following me outside.

"Did they kill their little boy?" I ask, my voice stuttering with fear.

"I don't know, Damon. I pray for that little boy but my God, that could have been you too," she adds, her voice catching with fear. When I look at her, I see tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm here mom," I whisper. Staring at me for several seconds, she opens her arms, giving me the choice as whether or not to let her embrace me. Sucking in a deep breath, I feel the butterflies doing somersaults in my gut. Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I slowly walk over to her, letting her pull me into her arms. Burying my face in her hair, I try to hold in my tears. When my mom starts to stroke my hair ever so gently, my knees weaken.

Struggling to carry my weight, she squeezes even tighter, whispering "I love you, Damon."

* * *

 _Thank you Eva. These stories wouldn't exist without you.. And thank you, all of you for your kind reviews and for supporting my story. I don't have words to really express how much I appreciate you all._

 _Chapter title: 'True Colors' by Cyndi Lauper_

 _I did update 'Shatter Me' yesterday. 'The Unforgiven' will come tomorrow. 'Nothing Else Matters' is only 11 reviews away from 300. I would love to reach that milestone should any of you choose to give that one a read. Remember to hit that *review button*._

 _#NURSESUNITE._

 _Stay safe and I hope you all have a phenomenal weekend. Until next time..._


	18. Angels Fall

After letting my mom hold me close for several minutes, I pull away because I know Chris and his friend are waiting for us inside.

"Um, should we go back in?" I ask, still feeling a bit uneasy. She nods her agreement then the two of us go back into the kitchen. Dad jumps up and walks over to me.

"Are you okay, son?"

Glancing over at my mom with a subtle smile, I whisper, "I am now." Dad nods then nudges me back to the table. Once I sit back down, mom hands me a glass of water. When I lift up my glass to take a swallow, I notice that Chris is looking at me.

"Can we continue?" he asks.

"Yeah."

"Did you ever hear them say anymore about the other Danny?"

"No, just what I already told you. Did they kill that boy?" I ask anxiously, wringing my hands together.

"Damon, that's police business. I can't say anything that could affect your testimony in court," Detective Gerard informs us.

"I understand," I whisper, looking down at my still clasped hands. When I hear Chris speak up, I raise my eyes again.

"I'm going to have to testify myself because I happened to be the cop who spoke to you first. I also helped investigate the Parkers and I was there when the boy's remains were found. I won't be able to be in the courtroom with you the whole time because of that. The defense attorney could use our friendship against us and claim I have a conflict of interest here. But know this, Damon. I will be with you in spirit," he explains, his forearms resting on the table with his own hands clasped.

"You mean, no one will be with me?"

"No, that's not what I mean. Your parents can be in the courtroom when you testify."

"They'll let them?"

"Of course." After sucking in a deep breath and closing my eyes for a moment, I look around the table to see my parents extend their hands towards me.

"Damon, of course we'll be there. We wouldn't even consider letting you go through that alone. We're also going to talk to Dr. Mikaelson to see if he can be there too. Okay?"

Nodding vigorously, I don't say anything, I just slowly give each of them one of my hands.

* * *

A few days have passed since Chris and Detective Gerard were here. I'm panting by the time I get home from a long jog. I stop and bend over, hands on my thighs as I try to catch my breath. Glancing at my odometer, I'm shocked to see that I've run nearly five miles. My distances are increasing each time I go out. Stefan decided he wanted to give running a shot too so he's going to go along with me tomorrow. He's really made an effort to be my brother since the catastrophe of that dance. I'm not mad at him anymore but he hasn't completely earned my trust yet either, although he's getting there.

Walking into the kitchen, I practically inhale a gallon of water before going upstairs to clean up. Although I didn't see mom, I know she's home because I can hear her talking to Caroline before I step into my room. After shutting the door, I strip out of my sweaty clothes and step into the shower, lather myself up and wash my hair. Once I step out, I wrap a towel around my waist and walk back into my room, taken aback when I see Caroline sitting on my bed.

"Caroline, you need to learn to knock. What if I was indecent?"

"What does that mean?" she asks, looking confused.

"It means, what if I had walked out of the bathroom with no clothes on? You would've seen me naked," I utter, a shudder running up my spine. When I turn away from her to walk into my closet, I hear a sharp gasp from her.

"Damon, where did you get those owies?" Looking back over my shoulder, I realize she's referring to my scars. She's never seen them before.

"My scars?"

Nodding, she hops off the bed and walks towards me. When she's standing in front of me, she wraps her arms around me, hugging me close. Soon I feel my skin getting wet and her trembling mildly as she cries.

"I heard mama tell daddy that people were mean to you," she blubbers, squeezing me even tighter.

Stooping down to her level, I tell her honestly, "Yes, the people that took me gave me the scars. They don't hurt anymore Caroline," I whisper, hugging her back for a moment before letting go so I can find something to wear. After slipping into a clean pair of boxers, a pair of shorts and a clean tee shirt, I step back into the main area of my room.

"Did you want something else?" I ask since she's still sitting on my bed.

"I want you to play Barbie's with me."

"Caroline, in case you didn't notice, I'm not a girl."

"I know that! But I wants you to play with me anyway," she pouts, knowing that I'm utterly defenseless against that pout of hers. She almost always capitalizes on that fact.

"Come on, Caroline. Can't we do something else?"

"Will you watch ' _Jack Sparrow_ ' with me?" Smiling, I just nod my head.

"Yay," she yells then jumps off of the bed and runs out of my room. In mere moments she's back, shoving the DVD into my hands.

"Maybe Stefan wants to watch too," I mention casually.

"I'll go get him." Already she's out of the room by the time I raise my eyes. In a couple of minutes, Caroline is back with Stefan in tow. She's tugging him by the shirt sleeve, dragging him into my room. After putting the movie in, I sit on the floor next to Caroline while Stefan parks himself on my bed. In no time at all, we're all laughing and enjoying the movie.

* * *

"How do you feel about seeing those people again, Damon?" Dr. Mikaelson asks me.

"I don't know. I mean, for all intents and purposes, they were my parents for ten years. I barely remembered my real parents, I only really could recall bits and pieces and that my name was Damon. I was only six when they took me. Chris told me that they found a boy's body on the property where I used to live. How is it that I lived and that boy didn't?" I ask, looking at my lap.

"I can't answer that for you, Damon. Given their history with you, the odds are that he didn't die of natural causes but it's not outside the realm of possibility. Maybe his death was an accident? We just don't know," he explains.

"You can't blame yourself for something that happened before you were taken into their home."

"Realistically I know that but I feel bad about it. I don't know why I was fortunate enough to live and he wasn't."

"It's called 'survivor's guilt', Damon. Listen, the trial starts Monday. Your parents asked me if I could be in the courtroom with you. As soon as you know when you'll have to give testimony, I want you to let me know. I will clear my schedule so I can be there for moral support, but only if that's what you want. They'll have the jury selection and opening statements before you ever get called to the stand."

"Yes, I want you to be there. My mom and dad are coming too. I didn't think they would want to be there. Why would they want to listen to all the sordid things that those people did to me?"

"Damon, you're their son and from what I can see, they love you very much. Of course they'd want to be there."

"Yeah, I guess. I've been having flashbacks and more nightmares."

"I have no doubt that they're related to the increased stress of the upcoming trial. Are you still taking a half of a pill or are you taking a whole one?"

"I've been taking a half of a pill. The whole one just made me feel so fatigued all the time."

"But did you sleep?"

"Yes, I did sleep."

"I suggest you start taking a whole one again for a few days just to see if you start sleeping better. You can cut back again after the trial."

"Okay, I'll try that," I tell him, my eyes never leaving his.

"Is there anything else?"

"It's my neighbor, Elena. I really, really like her but I'm also scared to death of her. We've kissed a couple of times but that's as far as it went."

"She's your neighbor?"

"Yes, she lives across the street. Her uncle is one of my teachers too."

"Well, I suggest you take it slow. If she's as enamored with you as you seem to be with her, she won't mind waiting till you're emotionally ready to start that kind of a relationship."

"I asked her brother for permission to go out with her. He said it was fine with him but to wait till I was ready," I muse, staring at my clasped hands.

"I think that Jeremy gave you some good advice," he adds, looking at me pointedly.

"Thanks Dr. Mikaelson. As soon as I know about my part in the trial, I'll let you know," I tell him, standing up to leave as my session is over for today.

"I'll see you next week, Damon." Nodding, I turn around and walk out of his office.

* * *

Elena invited me to go for a walk with her. It's a really beautiful day, the sky is the prettiest blue and the clouds are billowing. We plop down by a big tree and lay on the grass, staring at the clouds above and pointing out the things we see in the clouds as they waft by. She pointed out an elephant, I found a dragon and much more. It's a much needed distraction. I look down when she laces her fingers with mine.

"How is school going for you, Damon? I mean, the kids seem to have accepted you now. They don't seem to be as cruel as they were when you were the 'new kid on the block'. Plus you have Ric for a teacher. Are things better?"

"Yeah, Mr. Saltzman is great. I'm sorry, I just have a hard time calling him Ric you know? Anyway, the others do seem more accepting of me too. Maybe that's because of Stefan. I don't know?"

"I've noticed. Stefan seems to have pulled a one eighty with you. He's actually trying to be your brother and friend too. I'm glad."

"Don't tell him I said so but I'm glad too," I chuckle, giving her hand a little squeeze. When I fall silent as my mind drifts to the trial, I turn away staring again at the sky above.

"Are you okay, Damon?" she asks, leaning up on her elbow to look me in the eyes.

"I have to go to court Monday. I...I.. I'm, you know..., nervous about seeing them again."

"The people that kidnapped you?"

"Yeah, that would be them," I utter with a hint of sarcasm in my voice.

"I'm sorry," she whispers dropping her elbow and turning to look the other way. After a few moments, she gets up and starts to walk away. Catching up to her, I grab her gently, hooking my hand onto the crook of her arm.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry, Elena. I'm just in knots about everything. I didn't mean to take it out on you. Please forgive me."

"I understand," she whispers, standing on her tiptoes and pressing a wisp of a kiss to my cheek.

"That's nice," I whisper. Cradling her cheeks with my palms, I pull her closer till our lips join feverishly. Our lips mold together as if they were made for each other. I open my mouth when she teases my lips with her tongue causing me to deepen the kiss. When I run out of air, I pull back, breathlessly.

"Wow," I gasp.

"Yeah," she whispers, a beautiful shade of pink coloring her cheeks.

"Let's go get an ice cream cone, my treat?" I offer, holding out my hand for her to latch onto. When she laces her fingers with mine, we start to walk through the park towards the ice cream. I feel like I'm ten feet tall with this beautiful girl at my side.

* * *

 _Thank you so much Eva for everything. And I want to thank all of you as well. You really put a smile on my face when I read your reviews._

 _Did any of you notice 'Detective Gerard'? I stole his character from 'The Fugitive'. (I do know that he was Marshall Gerard in that story though) If any of you are interested, that story is in my profile. It's based on the real life murder case that spawned a TV series and then the Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones movie of the same name._

 _Title: 'Angels Fall' by 'Breaking Benjamin'_

 _I am just about ready to post the first chapter of 'Rainy Days and Mondays'. I really hope you'll read and review it. I only have the final chapter left to write which I hope to complete today.._

 _I posted the final chapter of 'Shatter Me' yesterday. 'The Unforgiven' will update tomorrow. Please give those a look._

 _*REVIEWS ARE LOVE*_

 _I hope you all have a wonderful and safe weekend. Until next time.._


	19. Rise

"Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give in this cause shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

Staring at the bailiff with my hand raised I softly reply, "Yes." I know they're right there at the defendant's table but I can't bring myself to look at them. Sucking in my lower lip, I look at my parents and Dr. Mikaelson. He smiles and nods softly. Blowing out a breath, I raise my eyes to the DA when he comes to stand in front of me.

"Damon, are the people that kidnapped you in this courtroom?"

"Yes, that's them," I reply, pointing at the defense table although my eyes don't follow my pointer finger.

"How old were you when they took you?"

"I was six."

"Damon, what was your life with them like? I mean, how did they treat you?"

"Um..," I turn my eyes to my mom and dad. Their encouraging nods along with Dr. Mikaelson's give me all the strength that I need.

"They tortured me endlessly. My back is full of scars from belt lashings. I was really sick a few months ago and they found several old broken bones that didn't heal properly. I have to wear a lift in my left shoe because of a fractured femur that I didn't receive any medical care for."

"They never took you to a Doctor?"

"No, not once. I was barely ever allowed to even go outside. They pretty much kept me a prisoner inside that house."

"I object, Your Honor," the defense attorney yells, flying out of his chair.

"He's making condemning statements about my clients."

"Objection denied. You may continue Mr. Parks," he tells the DA. After that, I go onto tell my whole sordid history with the Parkers. Their defense attorney tries to brow beat me but somehow I was able to stand firm with my testimony. Finding an inner strength I didn't know I had, I wasn't about to let them victimize me a second time. By the time I'm finished on the witness stand, I'm exhausted.

Just as I'm ready to exit the courtroom, I see Michael staring at me. He's sitting with who I assume are his parents. Sucking in a deep breath, I give him a nod then practically leap out of the courtroom, not slowing down at all till I'm outside. I breathe in the fresh air because my heart is pounding against my chest making me feel out of breath. Without my notice, mom, dad and Dr. Mikaelson walk towards me. When dad lays a hand on my shoulder, I startle, jumping away.

"Damon, I'm sorry," he says, pulling his hand back.

"Damon, calm down. Slow deep breaths, in through your nose, out through your mouth. You're having a panic attack and you need to get your breathing under control," Dr. Mikaelson instructs as he breathes along with me.

When I finally get myself under control, I turn to my mom and dad and practically fall into their embrace. Closing my eyes, it's their strength that's holding me up.

"Thank you for being here. I love you," I whisper to them. I open my eyes when I hear them both gasp. It's the first time I've said that to them since I came home. I'm oblivious to everything other than feeling so loved in my parent's arms. When I hear my name called, I look up startled when I see Michael and his parents walking towards us. Fearfully I look at Dr. Mikaelson. He mouths, 'just breathe' to me then steps beside my dad. Although I pull out of their embrace, I offer a hand to each one of them, gathering strength from their firms grips.

"Michael?"

Looking up at me, he quietly tells me hi. When his parents come to stand next to him, the man extends his hand to me. My dad releases my right hand so I shakily raise it to Michael's father and then to his mother after she extends her own arm.

"Damon, we just wanted to thank you for saving our son. You'll always be a hero to him. Although we'd like nothing more than to forget about that whole sordid incident, we want him to remember that someone stood up to be counted when the time came. Your courage is astounding given your testimony. We..." he starts to say before turning to look at his wife for a moment and then back to me.

"We don't know if he would've survived what you lived through. So thank you, Damon. You'll have our eternal gratitude."

"I...I don't know what to say," I whisper, looking at Dr. Mikaelson.

"It's okay Damon," he whispers then nods downwards. When I look down, Michael is standing next to me. Swallowing thickly, I stoop down so I'm at eye level with him. I'm taken aback when he throws his arms around me, giving me a hug. Ever so slowly, without even realizing it, my arms wrap around him. Several seconds pass before he pulls away.

"I'll never forget you, Damon," he whispers. Once he walks back to his parents, he tells me goodbye and then they walk away. Standing back up, I suck in another deep breath, realizing seeing him again wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

"Damon!" I hear coming from my right. When I look up, I see my grandfather making his way over towards us.

"Grandpa," I say in awe that he's actually here. He'd been on an extended business trip. I haven't seen him in a couple of months.

Placing one of his hands on each of my shoulders, he looks me in the eyes, his smile wide and his eyes alight.

"I'm so proud of you."

"Grandpa, you're here," I utter in shock.

"I wouldn't have missed it. I cut the rest of my trip short because I wanted to be here for you. I had an extended layover at O'Hare otherwise I would've been here a couple of hours ago."

"Thank you for coming," I whisper, wrapping an arm around him tentatively.

"What kind of a hug is that?" he teases, pulling me close, his hands caressing my back lovingly. I smile inside knowing that it doesn't bother me that he's touching my back, feeling only love in the press of hands against my body.

"Dad, how did you get here?"

"I took a cab from the airport. I don't suppose I could bum a ride home with you all?" he laughs raising his eyebrows. We all laugh a little bit. After saying goodbye to Dr. Mikaelson, we head to our car and begin the long drive home.

* * *

"Damon, do you want to shoot some hoops?" Stefan asks, tossing the basketball in his hands.

"Sure." I follow him outside and he tosses me to the ball. I bounce it around and shoot, hitting the basket. Stefan walks over and high fives me.

"Great shot, Damon."

"Thanks. Your ball," I say, tossing him the ball. We play for a good hour before going back into the house, only to find Caroline plopped in front of the TV watching one of her princess movies.

When she hears us, she pauses the DVD.

"Mama said you had to watch with me."

"She did not," I laugh.

"Did so," she squawks, standing up with her hands on her hips trying to look tough! After I stand her down, she backs down pouting, "Please?"

Sighing heavily, I nod.

"Okay but can we watch the dinosaur movie next?" Bobbing her head up and down, she plops back down on the floor.

"I'm going to get a bottle of water. I'll be right back. Do you want one Stefan?"

"Yeah, thanks Damon."

"Do you want something to drink, Caroline?"

"I already gots something," she replies, her eyes never leaving the TV but she holds up a can of Squirt.

I can't help but chuckle as I walk away. After grabbing a bottle of water for both myself and Stefan, I walk back into the living room, hand Stefan his water at the same time I drop onto the couch beside him. Soon all of our eyes are glued to the TV.

* * *

"Push me higher," Elena squeals, laughing as I push her on the swing. We come here often. Elena has taken up running too. Often the two of go out together for a long jog. I'm actually training for a 10K race that's going to be held in town as part of the 4th of July celebration. Elena is going to compete right alongside me. I enjoy doing this with her. Sometimes Stefan will go with us too but he's not as serious about running as Elena and I are. We probably ran about three miles when we stopped at the park to get something to drink because it's a warm day.

She's clearly enjoying herself as I continue to push her. All of a sudden she surprises me by parachuting out of the swing. When she lands in a heap, I run over to her to see if she's hurt because she's not moving. Dropping onto my knees when I reach her, I caress her cheek with my palm.

"Are you hurt?" I ask, my voice anxious. My eyes widen when I see a hint of a smile form on her lips before reaching up and pulling me on top of her. She pulls my lips to hers and in seconds I'm drowning in bliss.

"I love you," she whispers in my ear. Pulling away, I stare at her for a long moment before reaching up to push a strand of hair behind her ear. In seconds, I feel giddy with excitement, unable to keep the huge smile off of my own face. I lower my lips to hers, stealing a scorching kiss.

When I pull away, I press my lips against her ear whispering, "I love you too, Elena."

* * *

"We're outside the courthouse in Cape Hatteras as we wait for the verdict in the Parker case. Star witness, Damon Salvatore, the son of Joe and Millie Salvatore testified that he was kidnapped by this couple when he was just six years old. The jury has signaled that they have a verdict and we're just waiting to hear what that will be. Here we are, I've just been handed a copy of the verdict," she says as she opens the envelope.

"Guilty. the verdict is guilty ladies and gentlemen. I'm told the penalty phase of the trial will begin next month. Again, the verdict is guilty in the case of the 'State vs. Parker'. We've also learned today that the DA is going to file charges against the Parkers over the death of their biological son, Daniel Allen Parker. It was brought out in trial that he was killed by a blow to the head. No word yet on when they'll be arraigned on those charges. This is Andie Starr, channel ten news signing off.

Standing up, I switch off the TV. "Guilty. Is it over dad, really over?"

"Yes, son it is. How does it feel?"

"It feels good like this big weight has been lifted."

"Damon?" Mom calls for me just before she walks into the living room. Handing me the phone, "It's Chris."

"Thanks mom. Chris?"

"Damon, did you hear the news?"

"Yeah, dad and I watched."

"It's over, Damon. How does it feel?"

"I'm still kind of in shock. I was just telling my dad that it feels really good," I tell him honestly.

"Listen Damon, I know that I told you that Amanda and I would drive up after the trial. She's having some problems with her blood pressure so the Dr. wants her on bed rest for now. I'll come to see you as soon as I can alright?"

"Yeah. I mean, you need to take care of her. Give her my best and thanks for calling, Chris... Goodbye." After clicking off the phone, I say goodnight to my mom and dad then go upstairs. I just need to be alone for awhile to contemplate all that's happened today.

* * *

A few months later:

"I really like kissing you, Elena," I mutter between kisses. We're in her room, laying on her bed making out under the guise of finishing up our homework for finals just as we've been doing the last few months. I feel so free and at peace when I'm with Elena. Having not even realized I was daydreaming, I'm shaken from my reverie when I hear her voice.

"Where were you just now?" she asks, cradling one side of my face.

"I was just thinking about you. Do you realize how glorious it feels for me just to be in your arms and how lucky I am to have you?"

"Probably as glorious as it feels for me to be with you," she whispers, pressing another torrid kiss to my lips. Without realizing it, I roll on top of her, feeling myself harden when she rubs against me. Needing some friction, I press into her as she raises her hips just slightly, sending chills up my spine. When she reaches between us and starts stroking me through my jeans, I roll my eyes, dropping my head onto her shoulders, nuzzling the tender area of her neck with kisses.

"Elena, I can't go there, not yet," I whisper, holding my breath. After pulling her hand away, she reaches up to caress one side of my face.

"It's okay, Damon. We'll take all the time you need. I'm really not in any hurry."

"Thank you," I tell her softly, expelling a breath that I didn't know I was holding in. After lifting one more sweltering kiss from her lips, I roll off of her, cover my eyes with my forearm as I try to get myself back under control.

"Are we okay?" she asks as if I'm mad at her.

"Yeah, of course. I love you Elena but I.. I'm just not ready for sex yet. I know that I'm an anomaly. Hell, I think Stefan has even slept with Katherine but I just don't feel ready to cross that line yet. I hope you understand?"

"I do. And Damon, I love you too." Raising up on one elbow, she leans towards me, dropping a kiss to my forehead before dropping down and snuggling in next to me. Turning on my side as well, I wrap her in my arms and close my eyes, dreaming of what a perfect night it will be when I can take that step with her.

* * *

 _We're starting to make some progress. You have to remember that Damon was isolated and alone for ten long years. Sure he is a young man but he's still healing and doesn't feel ready to take that step yet. He needs a little time to grow emotionally._

 _Thank you Eva. Thanks to all of you too. Your reviews really mean so much to me._

 _Title: 'Rise'. The main theme from 'The Dark Knight Rises'._

 _The good news is that I finished writing 'RD &M'. The other good news is that Eva and I started this years Christmas story. I won't say anymore than that. But it'll be ready to post by the time the holidays near. I think I started posting 'My Favorite Wife' last year at the end of November. _

_Please watch for new chapter of 'Rainy Days and Mondays'. 'The Unforgiven' was updated yesterday. Don't forget to hit that review button._

 _As always, have a safe and wonderful weekend. I'll see you all right here next weekend. Until then..._


	20. Dear God

"Congratulations," everyone shouts when the graduation ceremony is over with. Elena studied hard and earned Valedictorian. I'm so proud of her. Stefan and I finished in the top ten of our class though. By the time we get back to our house, the place is decorated with a banner congratulating Stefan, Elena and me. Since we live across the street from each other, our parents, along with Jenna and Ric, decided to combine our celebrations.

"Damon, I'm proud of you young man. Now give your grandpa a hug," he demands, opening his arms for me. Smiling widely, I give him a hug. He and I have gotten close in the last year. I've gone with him for a couple of weekends when he went away for business. He took Stefan, me and dad to a baseball game in Atlanta. The four of us had a great time. Of course, Caroline was more than a little miffed that she had to stay home with mom. The two of them did their own thing that weekend. Mom took her to the zoo in Richmond and bought a new dress and shoes for her to wear today.

"I have something for you," he says, handing me an envelope after releasing me.

Peeling the envelope open, my mouth drops agape when I look at what's inside. "Grandpa, this is too much," I utter, shaking my head in shock.

"No, it isn't. You put that away and save it for something special or use it when you go to college. Stefan got the same."

Pulling him into one more hug, I tell him thank you and that I love him.

"Damon?"

"Jeremy! Hi," I greet him with a guy hug. He and I are pretty close now too. He's always been available when I've needed someone to talk to. We spend time together when he comes home for a weekend. He just finished his senior year in college and is getting ready to go to graduate school in the fall. Plus he has a girlfriend so he doesn't get back here as often as he used to. Just as I pull away from him, Anna his girlfriend, walks over to us.

"Congratulations Damon," she says, giving me a wisp of a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks Anna," I start to say when Elena comes to stand next to me. I wrap and arm around her as the four of us visit for awhile before the two of them go off to mingle with other guests.

After planting a kiss on Elena's lush lips, I go upstairs to change into a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. When I come back down, I'm taken aback to see that Chris and Amanda have arrived with their baby boy.

"Chris," I scream and nearly fly down the staircase to get to him. I give him a big hug and then turn to Amanda to give her a gentle hug and a kiss since she's holding their little boy in her arms..

"Congratulations Damon," Chris says, handing me an envelope. "Go ahead, open it."

When I open the envelope, there's tickets and reservations for two to go to Disney World in Florida." My eyes widen as I stare at it for a long moment before raising my eyes back to Chris and Amanda.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you," I tell them with all the sincerity I can muster.

"We're so proud of you, Damon," Chris says, placing his hand on my shoulder and squeezing.

"We talked to your folks. They said that since your summer job doesn't start till the middle of June that you could come to spend a week with us. We'd love to have you, Damon."

"Yes, I'd love to. But there are more important matters at hand here. When do I get to hold my little Godson," I ask, flashing what Elena calls my 'eye thing' at Amanda.

"Right now, Damon," she shakes her head with a laugh as the little guy in her arms reaches for me.

"Hey Jamie. How's my favorite little man?" I tease.

"Dam," he squeals, pressing his little hands on either side of my face. After giving him a hug, I look to my side, smiling even more widely when I see that Elena has come to stand by me.

"Hi everyone. Hi Jaime," she says to him. When he extends his arms towards Elena, I hand him over to her. We take turns holding him and then I show him off to my mom and dad. We all consider Chris and Amanda part of the family now. When their real families couldn't make it for Thanksgiving last year, they spent it with us. They're going to be here for the 4th of July to cheer me on when I compete in the 10K.

Once Jaime starts to tire and get crabby, Chris and Amanda decide it's time to go back to their motel. Usually they stay at the house with us but because of all the commotion related to graduation, they decided to book a motel room this time. After telling them goodbye and that I'll see them tomorrow before they drive back to Cape Hatteras, I look around till I see Elena. Finally the crowd dwindles to just our families. Ric and Jenna say goodnight. I spend a moment with my parents thanking them for everything before I take off with Elena.

"Elena and I are going to go. I just wanted to thank you for all of this. I have so much to be thankful for, the most important of which is just being home with all of you. I know I don't say it often enough but I love you both so much. Thank you for putting up with me when I was less than fun to be around shall we say."

"Oh Damon. We love you too. We're so proud of you. Now go on, Elena is waiting," Dad adds after they both give me an extended hug.

"I don't know what time I'll be home," I tell them before taking Elena's hand and walking outside. I open the car door for her so she can climb in. Exhaling a deep breath, I walk around and jump into the driver's seat.

"Where to my lady?"

"Let's go to the falls. It's so pretty out there. I know you don't have the best memories of that place but maybe we can make some new, more enjoyable ones," she whispers, raising her brows seductively.

On the inside, my nerves are on fire. Trying to keep my voice even, I raise my own eyebrows.

"I like that idea." Once I back out of the driveway, I lace my fingers with hers and take off down the street in the direction of the falls.

* * *

Taking her hand in mine, we start walking around the path. Glancing at my watch, I see that's it's about six in the evening. We still have a couple hours of daylight left. Elena pulls me to the right to take a trail that I hadn't noticed before now. When Elena stops, I look around to see that she must've been here earlier, setting all of this up. There's a blanket and picnic basket waiting for us.

"Did you do this?" I ask, pressing a kiss to her palm. She nods, pulling me over to the blanket. I pull her into a knee-weakening kiss as I lower her to the blanket, carefully coming down on top of her. I nuzzle her neck then dip my mouth down to the valley of her breasts as I continue to kiss and nip her gently. I reach down with a shaky hand tucking it under her camisole till I reach the swell of her right breast. Closing my eyes, I drop my head against her chest while at the same time I use my thumb to stroke her turgid nipple through the lace of her bra. When I hear Elena moan softly, I inhale deeply. Ever so slowly, I reach around and unclasp her bra. Pulling up, I help her take off her cami and bra before attacking her lips again.

"You're so beautiful Elena," I whisper reverently.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too," she whispers, lifting another kiss from my lips. After taking her nipple in my mouth, I use my tongue to tease and caress it till she writing and panting beneath me. My own eyes roll to the back of my head when she starts to stroke me through its denim prison. I jump slightly when she unbuttons my jeans and sticks her hand inside to take a hold of me.

"Elena," I pant as I roll off of her and onto my back. She takes control, using her hand to work me into a frenzy. When she uses her other hand to reach under my shirt, I flinch. She's never seen my scars. They're hideous and I don't want her to have to look at them just yet.

Reaching behind for a moment, I pull her hand out from under my shirt then press a kiss to her palm. Luckily, I don't think she noticed that I flinched at her touch. I would rather die than have her think that I was repulsed by her when it's the exact opposite.

"Are you ready, Damon?" she asks, her pupils blown with the same lust I feel. Just like that, I feel panic start to surge from through every nerve pathway in my body.

"I want to be," I reply, unable to hide the fear in my voice. Reaching up, she cradles my face with her hands and brings me back to her lips.

"It's okay if you're not ready yet," she tells me, her voice and face full of understanding.

Rolling off of her, I utter in frustration. "I don't know what's the matter with me, Elena. I mean, the Parkers were horrifically cruel to me and did taunt me with sexual innuendo. But they never actually touched me sexually nor did they force me to participate in anything like that. Maybe I should bring it up to Elijah. I want to make love to you so badly but I can't," I whisper, moisture beginning to well in my eyes. The understanding in hers is my undoing because I can't hold back my tears any longer.

"Oh Damon, I love you. I'm willing to wait. I think you should talk to Elijah. I mean, it sounds like its something in here," she says, pressing her fingertips gently to my temple.

Feeling crestfallen, I drop my eyes. "I think so too."

"You have to realize how they raised me, Elena. I was beaten almost everyday. I was the brunt of both physical and emotional abuse. I was rarely even allowed to go outside. I didn't have anyone to talk to. I never had any friends or any kind of companionship. I want you so bad but I..I," I utter despondently, turning away from her.

"Oh Damon, I have no words," she says softly, palming my cheek with her gentle hand.

"With everything in me, I wish that you didn't have to go through that. I'm so glad you're here with me now. I love you."

"I want to make love you to you, Elena. I'm just..."

"Hey now. None of that. I love you so much just the way you are. Those people deserve to rot in prison for the rest of their lives for treating you so brutally. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you'll defeat whatever it is that's holding you back. You just need to believe in yourself and in us."

"I love you, Elena. So much," I whisper, pressing a peck to the lips.

"Let's get dressed and enjoy our picnic, okay? Okay?" she repeats a second time. I look into her eyes again and nod. Reaching over, I pull her next to me and wrap her in my arms.

"How did I get so lucky?" I ask, tilting my head when I look at her.

"I'm the lucky one," she replies, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

"I'll talk to Elijah when I get home from Chris's. I love you so damn much," I whisper, dropping a kiss to the crown of her head. After she slips her bra and camisole back on, we enjoy the rest of the evening staying out late enough so we can watch the stars. When by chance a star shoots across the sky, my only wish is to be able to make love to my girl.

* * *

After walking Elena home and giving her a long goodnight kiss, I walk around for a little while trying to collect my thoughts before going home. After hanging my jacket on the hook, I slowly walk up the stairs. I take moment to step first into Caroline's room, smiling when I see her sleeping soundly. I love my little sister so much. She accepted me immediately. I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell her how much that means to me. After pulling her door closed softly, I knock on my parent's door, stepping inside to tell them goodnight.

When I get into my own room, I strip out of my clothes and hop into a nice hot bath. Closing my eyes, I lay back and let the hot water soothe me. As the water starts to cool off, I realize that I must've dozed off a little bit. Stepping out of the tub, I grab a towel and dry myself off, slip on a clean pair of boxer shorts and a tee shirt before finally crawling into bed, falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

 _I'm in a house that I don't recognize. I walk into what looks like the kitchen when I see a girl with long dark hair, her back to me._

 _"Elena?" I ask, my voice unrecognizable to my own ears. When she turns around slowly, I can see that it isn't her. I don't know who this girl is._

 _"Who are you?"_

 _"Who am I? I'm your greatest nightmare. Tell me Damon, are you ever going to be able to get it up? You're a grown man and you've never had sex! You refuse to let anyone see you naked. Girls like the broken guy at first because we all think we'll be the one to fix him. But there's no fixing you, Damon. You're damaged beyond repair," she sneers, twisting the dagger in as she slowly descends on me._

 _"You're an embarrassment to the male species. Let her go before she ends up hating you!" Turning to her side, she gestures a come hither motion with her arm while laughing hysterically. When I look around, I see all of these women surrounding me, all of them laughing along with her._

"Damon, wake up!"

Lurching upright in bed, I'm panting for a breath as I look around. Wiping the sweat from my brow, I finally look up to see Caroline standing at my bedside.

"Are you okay, Damon?"

"Yeah, yeah. It was just a bad dream."

"Are you sure? You haven't had nightmares in a long time." She hands me the bottle of water from my bedside. After taking a swig, I wipe my mouth with my forearm then look at Caroline again.

"Thanks Caroline but you can go back to bed. I'm okay."

"You sure?" Nodding, I reach for her and give her a hug. When I hear my bedroom door close, I lay back down and try to go back to sleep but my mind won't let me.

* * *

"Caroline, you're lucky that Amanda invited you to come along with me this week. How do you rate?" I ask as I drive the two of us down the highway.

"I am eight years old now," she points out as if it's front page news.

"Eeep, you're almost a lady," I tease.

"I am so a lady," she replies, jutting out her lower lip."

"Don't be so serious! What's Enzo going to do without you this week? He is your best friend and all."

"He's supposed to help his daddy plant flowers for their store this week."

"I guess you wouldn't be able to play with him much then anyway. I think he likes you," I add, raising my eyebrows when I look over at her.

"Well he is my boyfriend!"

"Really? Have you told mom that?" I ask with a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" she pouts, glaring at me with her arms crossed.

"Not a thing Caroline. Don't ever change little sister. I love you just the way you are."

* * *

Deciding to go outside for a run, I first find Chris in the backyard to tell him where I'm going. He's cleaning the barbacue grill because he said he was going to grill some ribs for us for supper this evening.

"Damon?"

"Hey, I'm going to go for a run. I'll be back in a little while."

"Be careful. There are some bad drivers in this town," he cautions me.

"Um Chris, can I talk to you about something before I go?"

"Sure," he says, putting down his tools and giving me his full attention.

"I should probably talk to my dad about his but it just seems weird to ask my dad about sex, you know?"

"I understand Damon. What do you want to know?"

"Elena has been really patient with me. Actually she's been really great but I know she wants us to take that step and I...," I sputter, shaking my head.

"You are old enough now. What seems to be the problem?"

"We've tried, a few times already. I can't seem to calm or control my nerves and that pretty much makes me deflate if you get my drift," I whisper, my voice trailing as I look away, my cheeks flushing.

"I don't know what to tell you Damon. Do you want to have sex or are you just going along with it for Elena's sake?"

"No, I want to have sex with her but I can't... I don't know what's wrong with me?"

"It sounds psychological Damon. I know I've never come straight out and asked you but did Kai or Jo sexually assault you too?"

"They made some comments so I guess emotionally yes, but they never laid a hand on me that way. Does that make any sense?"

"It does and thank God. I'm grateful that even they had a line that they wouldn't cross. Have you spoken to Dr. Mikaelson about this?"

"I promised Elena that I would when I get home."

"I think that's a wise decision. Don't sweat it, Damon. Really, you're still a kid. You were abused both physically and emotionally for a decade. Maybe this problem can be traced to something that happened when you were with them. I think your best bet is to discuss this honestly with your Dr."

"Thanks Chris. I'm going to go for my run now. I'll see you a little later."

"Damon, be careful," he warns a second time.

Already half way down the street, I yell out, "Will do," before continuing down the sidewalk.

* * *

"Thanks for giving me a job this summer, papa. I really appreciate it."

"You are welcome. Have you given college any thoughts? Your parents haven't mentioned anything to me. I know Stefan is going to the University of Virginia along with Elena. What about you?"

"Actually I was thinking about becoming a cop. You know, like Chris. I'd like to be able to help people the way he helped me."

"If that's what you want to do, I think it's a fine idea. Have you talked to your mom and dad about it?"

"Not yet. I don't want dad to feel bad that I'm not following in his footsteps."

"Damon, he's not going to be upset with you. Both he and your mom just want you to be happy. You place way too much responsibility on those broad shoulders of yours and you worry too much."

"I know papa. Dad has told me that I worry way too much over things I have no control over."

"Anybody here?" sounds from the front door of papa's antique shop.

"I'm coming. Oh hi, Mr. Saltzman."

"Are you ever going to call me Ric? You're not in school anymore, you're allowed," he points out, raising an eyebrow at me.

"How can I help you Ric?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

"Now that's better. I was looking for something to give Jenna for our anniversary. She loves antiques."

"Does she like candles?"

"Yes. What girl doesn't?"

"Well papa just got these pewter candle sticks. They're really ornate don't you think?" I run my fingers along the scroll work then hand one of them to Ric.

"Yes, they are pretty. How much?"

"Maybe I can talk papa into giving you a discount? I'll be right back." I step away and walk into the back for a moment to ask papa about it.

"Papa, Ric is out there. He wants to buy the candlesticks for Jenna. Can he get a discount?"

"Of course. Ric has been a good friend to our family. Give him twenty five percent off."

"Thanks so much papa," I tell him then go back to Ric. A few minutes later, he's walking out of the store, candlesticks in hand.

* * *

"Come on in, Damon," Elijah greets me, stepping aside when I walk into his office. "What did you want to talk about today? I was surprised when you called to ask for an extra session this month."

"It's about sex," I whisper, blushing red with embarrassment.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Damon. I am well aware that's easy for me to say. You and I have been through a lot together. You can talk to me. What seems to be the problem you're having?"

"I want to have sex with Elena. I do but the few times we've come close, I always stop it. I can't seem to get out of my head. Just the thought of it sets my nerves on fire. It's like I'm ready to topple over the edge of Everest or something. I'm scared to death of it and I don't know why. My libido sinks like a stone and so does..." my voice trails off as I my eyes focus in on that part of my anatomy.

"Damon, you've been through a lot in your young life. This is rather personal, Damon. I'm sure you've taken yourself in hand before. Do you have any trouble with that?"

Blushing an even brighter shade of red, my mouth drops a second before I shake my head no.

"We can do some blood tests, check you hormone levels. But I think this is more psychological than physical Damon."

"That's what my friend Chris said too. So how do I fix this?"

"Damon, you're a pretty high strung individual. And that's understandable but stress can take a toll on many different parts of your body, including your penis. You can deal with stress by making some changes that promote relaxation such as exercising regularly which I know you do because you're a runner. You also need to get enough sleep. Worrying about not being able to perform can make it that much harder for you to just do that. Anxiety from other parts of your life can spill over into the bedroom. All that worry can make you fear and avoid intimacy, which can spiral into a vicious cycle that puts a strain on your relationship as well as your sex life.

When you don't like what you see in the mirror, it's easy to assume your partner isn't going to like the view, either. A negative self-image can make you worry not only about how you look, but also how well you're going to perform in bed. That performance anxiety can make you too anxious to even attempt sex. Does any of that sound familiar, Damon?"

"I guess because I do worry about being naked in front of her. She's never seen the scars on my back. I flinch when she rubs my back or tries to touch my bare skin. Sometimes I'm afraid she thinks I'm repulsed with her. It's not her at all, it's me," I confess, running my hand through my hair. Shaking my head, I happen to glance at my watch, I realize I need to get going so I can get to work on time.

"I need to get going. I'll see you in two weeks for our usual session. Thanks Elijah."

"Damon, I think learning to relax will also help you a lot." _Easy for him to say, I think to myself._

Nodding, I walk towards the door, turning around to give him one last look before leaving for the day. As I walk haphazardly back to my car, I can't seem to get out of my head as it swirls with chaos and heavy thought.

* * *

"Push me higher, Damon," Elena squeals so I push her higher. My heart is breaking. I don't want to do this but I have to. She deserves someone who can make her happy and satisfy that part of her. When I let myself dream of a life with a happy Elena, I imagine us having a nice little house with the white picket fence. I smile when I think of us sitting on the porch steps as we watch our children rough house in the yard. I smile when thoughts of Elena nursing our first baby pop into my head. But most of all, I dream of wrapping her safe and secure in my arms. She deserves someone who can give her the world. Exhaling heavily, I reach up to wipe a tear when the light bulb goes on inside my head, ' _That someone isn't me'._ We've tried time and again and every time, I have to stop it. I know she's frustrated but she covers it quickly and tries to make me feel okay about myself. I can't keep doing this to her.

"Elena, don't turn around," I whisper as I keep pushing her.

"Damon, what's wrong, you're scaring me?"

"We can't dance around this anymore baby. With everything in me, I love you. You need to find someone that isn't broken, Elena. I can't do it. I know you've been nothing but kind and understanding about it but I can't let you keep doing this. I want you to find someone who makes you happy and can give you the world. That person isn't me." Stopping the swing, I wrap my arms around her from the back, pressing kisses to the crown of her head. I need to savor this moment because there won't be anymore.

"Damon, don't do this. I love you. I can wait. Please don't do this," she pleads with me as I feel her tears dropping onto my arms that are encircling her.

"I have to Elena. Close your eyes." When I see that they're closed, I steal one final torrid kiss from her lips before letting her go. Her sobs nearly take me out at the knees but I have to be the strong one for just this once. I press my lips to her ear and whisper.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Elena. I love you now and I'll love you forever." Exhaling heavily, I can't find it in me to say goodbye. With a heavy heart, I start pushing her again till she's soaring high. Then I turn around and walk away, tears pouring down my own cheeks.

"Damon, come back," she blurts out, her voice broken and thick from the weight of her tears. Closing my eyes, I stop for a moment to suck in a shuddering breath. Steeling my nerve, I will myself to keep moving forward, breaking out into a run. I push myself not to slow down till I get home. Thankfully no one else is home so I slink upstairs and into my room. My eyes are red and puffy. I pick up the picture of the two of us that's sitting on top of my dresser. Collapsing onto the bed, my tears erupt anew. Trying to make myself invisible, I curl up as tightly as I can. My chest is heaving as I struggle to fill the hole that's now there. Closing my eyes tightly, I drift off into an uneasy sleep, clutching her picture next to my heart.

 _Dear God the only thing I ask of you is to hold her when I'm not around_

 _When I'm much too far away_

 _We all need the person who can be true to you_

 _I left her when I found her and now I wish I'd stayed_

 _'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired_

 _I'm missing you again._

* * *

 _Don't be too hard on Damon. Yes, I know that he should've discussed this with her but he feels that he'll never be able to give her what she needs. The Parkers left a lot of scars, both physical and emotional as you can see. Although he's well on his way to putting that behind him, some scars still linger painfully. He needs time to work through this on his own and learn to love himself for the wonderful person that he is. Elena may have a few ideas of her own too..._

 _Huge thanks to Eva for everything. She's my dear friend. We wouldn't be here if not for her. Thank you all for your reviews, follows and favorites. I appreciate them so much._

 _Our Christmas story is done and ready to post when we get closer to the holidays._

 _Lyrics and chapter title: 'Dear God' by 'Avenged Sevenfold'._

 _'The Unforgiven' was updated yesterday. 'Rainy Days and Mondays' will either later today or tomorrow..._

 _*Reviews are love*_

 _Love you all. Stay safe and have a fabulous weekend. Until next time..._


	21. Without You

"Damon, you're graduating at the top of your class in the police academy. We're so proud of you, son. How does it feel?" my dad asks as I walk beside him and my mom wearing my dress blues.

"It's great dad. Thank you, both of you for coming. Where is everybody else?" I ask, referring to Stefan, Caroline and papa.

"They're here. The only seats they could find where they could sit together were towards the back of the auditorium. They're going to meet us at the graduates reception.

"How did you pry Stefan away from Katherine?"

"We didn't. They drove up here separately."

"Have you thought about where you're going to apply for a job? Liz told me that you should apply at home. She said two of her officers are retiring," mom adds.

"Plus we'd love to have you come back home."

"I will definitely apply at home. I miss you guys and home a lot." They both smile at me, mom taking my hand and giving it a loving squeeze. It's been two years since I left Mystic Falls. I didn't want to hurt Elena by sticking around so after I completed that 10K run, I packed my bags and moved in with Chris and Amanda so I could go to a community college to attend the classes that I needed to get into the police academy. Academy training took thirty four weeks. I keep in touch with Jeremy. He tells me that Elena is doing well. I'm so glad about that. I've never had the nerve to ask him if she has another boyfriend. It kills me to think of another guy touching her in that way though. I've made some female friends at the academy but Elena still holds my heart. There's no one that I've wanted to try to sleep with since that fateful day when I slinked away from her, tail between my legs.

"Damon!" Caroline screams, running into my arms. She's ten now. I can't believe my little sister is so big already. I hate that she's growing up. She and I are still really close. Several times, mom and dad would meet us half way between Mystic Falls and Chris's North Carolina home. I'd bring her back here with me to spend a week during the summer or even just a weekend.

Katherine and Stefan are still at the U of Virginia. Stefan is studying pre Law and working part time. At least I'll know a good lawyer someday if I ever need one. Katherine is barely pregnant with their first baby. They eloped to Las Vegas a couple of months ago. They're both still so young and the baby was definitely unplanned but they're so excited. Mom was disheartened because she wanted them to have a wedding but it was their decision. In the end, she came around and did give them her blessing. Amanda is just about to drop their second child. They're expecting a little girl this time. Since Amanda only has brothers, they're going to ask my mom to be her Godmother. I've been sworn to secrecy though because they want to be the ones to ask her.

After giving me a bear hug, she steps back. "Caroline, I'm so glad you're here," I tell her, taking her hand when she offers it. She pulls me towards the refreshment table.

"I want some cake," she replies matter of factly.

"Here you go, Caroline," Chris remarks, handing her a piece.

"Um, um, yummy," she mumbles as her mouth is full of cake. Chris then offers me a piece. After eating it, he pulls me aside.

"So have you given anymore thought to applying at my station?" he asks.

"Mom told me that there's going to be a couple of openings in Mystic Falls. I think I'm going to try for one of those first," I reply, my voice hesitant. Even though I'm scared to death to face Elena again, I do miss her like crazy. I hope that maybe someday she and I can be friends.

"I don't mean to disappoint you Chris. You've been like a father to me since the first time we laid eyes on each other. I just really want to go home."

"Damon," he scolds. "You're not disappointing me. Sure, I'd love you to come to work for me but if you want to go home, I understand. You need to think of yourself first sometimes."

"What does Molly think about you moving home, if you get the job that is?"

"Chris, she and I are just friends, nothing more. I just don't feel that way about Molly," I add, my mind telling me that it wouldn't be fair to string someone else along when my heart is still consumed with a certain brown-eyed girl.

"Is she okay with that? What are her plans?"

"I've been honest with her from the very beginning Chris. I told her that I was only interested in friendship," I explain to him, raking my hand through my newly shorn hair.

"She applied for a position in upstate New York. I don't remember the name of the town though."

"Damon?" I hear then turn my head. Katherine and Stefan walk up to the two of us. "Chris," he says, extending his hand.

"Stefan, Katherine, how are you?" he replies, shaking my brother's hand. Katherine's bump is barely visible.

"How's baby Salvatore?" he asks, giving Katherine a gentle hug.

"Really good," she replies, a hint of pink coloring her cheeks. She then turns to me and gives me a hug as well.

"We're so proud of you," she says softly next to my ear.

"Thanks Katherine. I really appreciate that you and Stefan could make it."

"Where else would we be, Damon?" Stefan and I have a come along way since those dark days when I first came home. Just like Caroline, he would come to visit me for a long weekend. He came alone a few times and brought Katherine with him a couple of times as well. I'm really happy that he and I are in a really good place now.

"Have you heard from Elena?" I ask hesitantly. A part of me wants to know that she's okay but the other part isn't at all prepared to hear that she may have found someone else.

Smiling at me knowingly, he gives my shoulder a squeeze. "Honestly Damon, I get an occasional text from her but that's about it. We're both so busy with school that we just don't have time. She is happy and she loves school."

"I'm glad. Thanks Stefan," I reply softly. After giving him a nod, I excuse myself to go and find my papa. I'm just about to give up on him when I finally find him visiting with Amanda. Little Jaime is with a babysitter today.

Papa turns to me when I move to stand beside him. "I'm proud of you young man," he tells me, wrapping an arm around me.

"Amanda was just telling me she's going to miss having you at the house. She tells me that you're a great cook," he adds, winking at Amanda.

"Thanks Papa. If I can't get a job in Mystic Falls, I may be back here."

"You'll get the job. Your old papa will put in a good word for you."

"That's good to know." Once I finish talking to everyone, I get in the car with mom and dad and drive back to the place that's been my home for the last two years. I have most of my things packed but we're going to spend the night at Chris's house. We're grilling steaks and having a celebration here tonight and then I'll be going back home with them tomorrow, awaiting the day that I can see the girl who fills my dreams again.

* * *

Fortunately Chief Forbes hired me immediately. I'm still living with mom and dad right now but as soon as I get some money saved up for a down payment, I'm going to get my own apartment. I do like having my family close. I already had to promise my little sister that I'd let her come and spend a night with me once in awhile. My orientation period is twelve weeks. During that time, I shadowed another officer.

I've been on my own in a squad car for a couple of weeks now. I really am enjoying my job. I haven't done much other than write some speeding tickets, help Caroline get her cat out of the tree in our yard among other things. Still I'm happy I came home. When I see a charcoal-colored sporty little number speed past me, I chuckle then switch on the siren and pull out after him. He keeps driving for a short distance till he realizes that he's the one I'm after. Then he slows down, pulling over to the side of the road.

Carefully, I walk towards the car. One never knows when you might pull over someone with evil intent.

"Keep your hands on the steering wheel," I tell him as I get closer to the car. When he turns to look at me, I drop my head, smiling.

"Jeremy! How are you, man?"

Shaking his head, he steps out of his car, walks towards me and pulls me into a one handed guy hug. "You got the job. That's really great, buddy."

"Thanks Jer. You do realize you were speeding right?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

"Ric called a couple of hours ago. Jenna is having the baby."

"That's great Jeremy. We'll make this quick then. I need to see your license and registration."

"Damon, can't you let it slide this one time?"

"Whining is unbecoming, Jer," I tease, breaking out in a chuckle.

"Come on, do a guy a favor would you?" he practically begs..

"Yeah, I'll let you off with a warning ticket this time. But if there is a next time, I will give you a real ticket."

"Thanks Damon." He turns around to step back into his car. Reaching in through the window, I put my hand on his shoulder. Jeremy turns his head to look at me.

"Is there something else you wanted?"

"Um.. Jer, I...is Elena going to come home too?"

Exhaling heavily, he turns his eyes away from me for several moments. "Yea... yeah, she's bringing one of her friends with her. It's a holiday weekend and I guess her friend had nowhere else to go."

Nodding, I smile tightly at him. "Thanks Jer." I walk back to my squad car and pull the door open, turning around when I hear Jeremy say my name.

"Hold up there, Damon."

"I.. I just want you to know that you still have my blessing if you want to try to fix things with her. I honestly don't know anything about her love life nor do I care to. I know you love her Damon..."

Looking at him uneasily, I just can't bring myself to say anything.

"You don't have to answer, it's written all over your face. Look, for all I know, she might not be interested any longer but on the off chance that she is, you must know that she's not going to wait forever."

"I know. I really didn't expect her too." He looks at me with those brown Gilbert eyes, so like Elena's, for several moments.

"Just think about what I said. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Yeah." After saying goodbye, he jumps back into his car and takes off towards home.

* * *

After playing 'Scrabble' with Caroline and our parents for a couple of hours, I can barely keep my eyes open. I take a few seconds to tell everyone goodnight before excusing myself to go up to my room. Once inside, I strip off my clothes and walk into the bathroom to shower. Turning around, I stare at my scars in the mirror. Mom and dad suggested that I could talk to a plastic surgeon about them if I so choose. Whether a surgeon can smooth my skin doesn't really matter I guess. I'll always bear those scars because they also reside inside of me. Sighing heavily, I step into the shower. Pressing my palms against the shower wall, I close my eyes and let the water pelt down on my body.

Once I feel myself relax, I reach for a bar of soap, lather up and use it to clean my body. Turning to face the shower head, I allow the stream to wash the remains of my day away. Then I turn off the water, step out, grab a towel and dry myself off. Once I drape a towel around my waist, I walk back into my room. Walking over to the window, I stare outside for a few minutes, my eyes landing on Elena's room when I notice the light come on. As I continue to watch, I gasp when I see her silhouette in the window. She pulls the curtain back for a few moments and stares outside. I quickly hit the light switch so she won't see me staring at her. I don't want her to think that I'm no better than some voyeuristic pervert.

When she suddenly turns away, I see a man's silhouette walk over to her. It's easy to see that she's laughing. I'm certain that it's Jeremy or Ric. Then the light goes out. Exhaling heavily, I switch my light back on, put on a clean pair of boxers, turn the light back off and crawl into bed.

 _"Wow Elena, that was...," I pant, struggling to catch my breath. Where did you learn to do that?" I whisper, breathlessly._

 _"This was my first time," she admits, her cheeks pink._

 _"Come here," I whisper, pulling her on top of me. I reach up to caress her cheeks with my hands. My eyes roam from her eyes to her full lips then back to her before I lift a torrid kiss, rolling her underneath me. I reach down to stroke the little bundle of nerves and her moist lady parts. When she's writhing and making beautiful noises, I can't help but smile that it's really me who's sending her sky rocketing. I continue to fondle her till she comes back to earth. After pressing another sweltering kiss to those lips, I push inside, joining us once more. Dropping my lips to nuzzle her neck as I slowly push in and pull back. When her hands reach around, embracing my scars, I inhale sharply and close my eyes. "Elena... I..I...,"_

 _"Ssssh." Focusing those great big blazing brown eyes at me, she whispers, "They're beautiful to me, Damon. These scars," she continues while stroking her hands up and down my back,"they're a testament to your strength."_

 _Speechless, I can't help but smash my lips to hers while at the same time, my hips piston as I push harder with each thrust. Within moments, both of tumble off the precipice of Everest._

Panting, I lurch upright in bed. My mouth is agape as I struggle to catch my breath. Looking around in a daze, my heart drops when my mind catches up with my body, realizing it was only a dream. Dropping my head into my hands, tears start to form in my eyes. Somehow I will them not to fall. I get up and walk into the bathroom. Clutching the edge of the sink, I just stare at myself for a long time. I want that with her, I want that dream to come true. Steeling my spine, I make up my mind then and there that I'm going to try to earn back her love. After taking a big swallow of water, I slip back under the covers hoping that in time that dream will become reality.

* * *

Feeling hungry when I get off of work, I drive over to our McDonalds and order a meal. After getting my food, I find a booth, sit down and start eating.

"Damon?"

Looking up, I see Dr. Mikaelson standing there with his own tray.

"Elijah, hi," I greet him, offering my hand to shake his.

"Please join me."

"Of course," he replies, taking the seat across from me.

"How are you doing?" he asks.

"Pretty good. I really like my job a lot. I had a long talk with Liz about my past. You know, that you and I had a professional relationship. I mean, I don't know how they feel about their officers having had mental health problems. I assured her that I'm in a pretty good place now. I don't have nightmares and flashbacks anymore," I explain, running my fingers through my hair.

"She was okay with hiring you? I can put in a good word for you if you need me too."

"That's really kind of you. But yeah, she was willing to give me a chance. I passed all the psychological tests when I was in the academy."

Reaching over, he presses his hand atop mine for just a moment.

"I'm really proud of you, Damon."

Lowering my eyes, I stare at my hands for a few seconds before raising them to meet his gaze, "I'm kind of proud of myself too."

* * *

"Damon, over here," Papa yells, signaling me with his arm to join him and Caroline at their table.

"Hi papa. I didn't think you'd beat me over here. You two must've broken the land-speed record to get here before me!"

"No, we saw that you had someone pulled over. Caroline tried to honk at you but I wouldn't let her," he remarks, eyeing Caroline.

"Did you give him a ticket, Damon?" Caroline asks, practically on the edge of her seat.

"Yes, I had to give him a ticket. He ran a red light and almost hit someone," I answer, rolling my eyes.

"Are you ready to order?" Vicky asks, smiling flirtatiously at me.

"Um, sure. I'd like the cold roast beef sandwich with coleslaw and a cup of coffee. Caroline?"

"I want chicken nuggets, French fries and a vanilla shake," she says tersely to Vicky, crossing her arms over her chest as she stares at her. Vicky doesn't take her eyes off of me, staring as if she's in her own little world.

"Miss Donovan?" papa remarks, giving her a slight push with his hand.

"Oh I'm sorry," she drawls. I was just admiring Officer Salvatore here," she fawns, winking at me.

"That's rather unprofessional don't you think?" he asks pointedly.

"What can I get you Mr. Salvatore?" she asks, her smile sanguine and phony.

"I'll have a BLT, coleslaw and coffee."

"Sure thing," she smiles sickly at me once more before sashaying away to turn our order in.

"Damon, your dad told me that you want to look for an apartment. I hadn't really thought about it but there is an apartment above the antique store. It'll need cleaning and you'll need furniture and stuff but you're more than welcome to move in there. And I get the security of having a cop living above my store," he laughs.

"Thanks, papa. I love the idea. I have off tomorrow, do you think I could look at it?"

"Absolutely. Just give me a call beforehand. Rose is opening the store tomorrow. I want to be there to show you around."

"I will."

"Can I come too?" Caroline asks, tilting her head and eyeing me coyly.

"Yeah, you can come too," I smile, shaking my head. Just to get Caroline to shut up, I had promise that I'd take her to a movie after we meet with papa. When Vicky finally delivers our food, just by chance I happen to glance out of the window. I do a double take when I see Elena across the street. My smile fades quickly however when I see a guy walk up to her. After saying something next to her ear, she smiles widely and laughs. She delivers the coup de grace when she reaches up and wraps her arms around his neck. And that's when I have to admit that my last flicker of hope has been snuffed out.

* * *

 _Don't give up. Have a little faith in me..._

 _Thank you Eva. You're the best. I love you my friend. Thanks to all of you as well. I so appreciate your support. I will be over the moon if this story hits 300 reviews..._

 _Chapter title: 'Without You' by 'Mariah Carey'_

 _A really lovely DE video on youtube is by iForeverYooung. It's called: [1x01-6x22] 'Damon and Elena - How they fell in love with each other'. I can't get enough of it._

 _'The Unforgiven' has updated. 'Rainy Days and Mondays' will be updating this weekend as well._

 _*REVIEWS ARE LOVE*_

 _Have a safe and lovely weekend. See you right here next time..._


	22. Simple and Clean

When I see Chris standing in my police station, I walk over to him and pull him into a one armed hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm actually here on some official business with Chief Forbes. How's it going?"

"It's all good. I found an apartment. Well actually my papa offered me the apartment above his antique store. I saw it yesterday. I'm really excited about it. My mom and Caroline are over there now getting it cleaned up for me. I'm on my way over there to give them a hand. Do you want to come?"

"Sure, I don't think Amanda will mind if I spare you a few minutes," he laughs.

"I would hope not," I chuckle, raising my eyebrows at him.

"Please give her my best and give Jaime and Kelsie a hug for me."

"I will, Damon. They all miss you too. I hope you'll come to see us one of these weekends."

Nodding, I smile. "I most definitely will. I'm sure Caroline will demand to come along too."

"No doubt," he laughs.

"Follow me," I tell him. Once we get into our cars, I pull out of the parking lot. When I see Chris pull in behind me, I begin the drive towards my new apartment.

* * *

With my mind elsewhere, I continue to run around the park's perimeter before I begin the last trek towards home. I'd also made the loop to the falls on this run. I stopped there for about a half hour just taking in the sites and remembering how it felt when Elena and I were here together.

My music is blasting through my ear buds and I'm paying very little attention to what's in front of me. Just before I get home, I reach up to pull my ear buds out. Thinking I heard my name, I start to slow down, looking everywhere but directly in front of me. Without warning, I bump into someone causing me to stagger backwards nearly landing on my ass. I start to apologize profusely to whoever it is that I bumped into, gasping aloud when I look down to see that I've knocked Elena right over. I hadn't even realized that I was running on her side of the street.

"Oh my God, Elena. I'm so sorry," I tell her, using my arms to help her up.

"It's okay, Damon," she replies, staring at me for a second. When she stoops back down to pick up the suitcases that I knocked out of her hands, I offer to carry them for her.

"Let me." Bending over, I lift them up and carry them to her trunk that's popped open. After putting them in the trunk, I turn back to her. "You're leaving?"

"Yeah, I have to get back for finals," she replies, staring at me. God, I want to kiss her and never let go, I think to myself.

"Elena, I...I..," I stutter, staring at her lips as I unconsciously start to lower my face to explore them once more.

"Elena, did you get everything from your room?" _he_ asks, stepping out of her house. Shaking me from my reverie, I jump back, feeling like I'm on the receiving end of a well aimed gut punch. Walking towards us, he finally raises his eyes, noticing me.

"Ben, this is Damon. He lives right over there," Elena says, pointing towards my house.

"Damon this Ben." Ben extends his hand to me. Momentarily stunned, I finally give him mine.

"Ah Damon.. Elena has me about you," he remarks almost a little condescendingly, his stare lethal.

Given the fact that Elena knows me so well, I'm not surprised when she immediately picks up on my discomfort. Her eyes stay fixed on mine for a few seconds before she turns her attention back to him.

"Ben, would you mind going to my room to grab my duffle bag?"

"Sure," he replies, giving me another piercing glare before turning around and going back into her house.

"Is there something you wanted, Damon?" she asks, laying her hand on my forearm ever so lightly.

"Um.. uh...," Speechless, I exhale heavily. "Elena, I.. I'm sor..," I begin when Ben interrupts us again, this time carrying Elena's things. He sets the bag inside the trunk, slams it shut then comes to stand beside her.

"We really need to get going, Elena," he remarks to her, never taking his cold, rigid eyes from mine.

Knowing I need to distance myself from her, I tell her goodbye and to drive safely before starting to walk across the street to go home. Just as reach my side of the street, I hear her yell.

"Damon wait! I'll be home again in about ten days. We can talk then if you want?" Although I don't turn around, I nod my head up and down, closing my eyes when she says goodbye. It's only when I hear her car engine's roar and the peel of her tires that I turn around just as her car disappears around the corner.

* * *

Exhaling a deep breath, I collapse onto the couch, having finally carried the last box upstairs into my new apartment.

"Who knew you had so much stuff in your room upstairs?" dad remarks, dropping down onto the couch beside me.

"Thanks so much for your help dad. I do appreciate it."

He pats my leg lightly, "Anytime."

"Um.. dad, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he replies, repositioning himself on the couch so he can give me his full attention.

"It's about Elena... I.. I don't know what to do. I want to be with her dad, but I'm so afraid that maybe I blew my chance."

"I won't lie, Damon. Your mother and I have noticed how unhappy you seem since she left. Now I know you wear a brave face but son, you'll never fool anyone at poker. Even when you were living with Chris and Amanda, I could see your underlying melancholy," he remarks, surprising me with how well he knows me both inside and out.

"Have you talked to her?"

"Not really. I was just about to work up the nerve but then that guy she was with interrupted us. She left to go back to school right afterwards."

"Do you mind if I ask why you two broke up in the first place?"

"I broke it off. I have so many skeletons, dad. This is embarrassing but.. we tried to.. you know.. a couple of times but I could never go through with it. I mean, what's the matter with me? A young guy unable to perform," I whisper, dropping my head when I feel my face heat up.

"Son, you don't have to be embarrassed. I was a young man once too you know. I'm actually honored that you feel safe and comfortable enough to share this with me. Not long ago, you would've kept it all inside. I'm really proud of the man you've become."

"Thanks dad. You don't know what it means for me to hear you say that," I whisper, my eyes meeting his.

Placing his hand on my forearm, he gives it a squeeze. "Have you tried since then?"

Shaking my head back and forth, "No, there's never been anyone but her that I've wanted to go that far with."

"I believe that when your mind is ready, your body will do what you want it to do. You've grown up so much since then, Damon. I also think that if you learn to release some of the anxiety you always carry around, things will happen easier too."

"Maybe you're right. Thanks dad."

"You're welcome," he replies, giving my shoulder a loving pat.

"Now, how about we get your bed put together so you have something to sleep on tonight?"

"I think that's a very good idea," I chuckle, offering him my hand to help him stand up. "Let's go downstairs and get the mattress." Gesturing for him to go first, the two of us trot down the staircase so we can lug it back up.

* * *

I'm sitting in my squad car just on outer limits of Mystic Falls. I'm tucked back on a turn that's surrounded by trees. When a car zooms past me, I turn on my overhead lights and pull out after him. He leads me on a chase for a couple of miles before finally pulling into a rest area and stopping his car. After I call dispatch with his license plate, I jump out of my car and walk over to the drivers side door.

When I look in the window, I'm a little stunned to see that it's my old nemesis, Mr. Tanner.

"Well if it isn't you, Salvatore! You're playing cop now?" he laughs, trying to intimidate me.

"You were driving sixty five in a forty mile per hour zone. I'll need your driver's license, registration and proof of insurance."

"Oh come on Officer Salvatore", he sing songs my name sardonically.

Ignoring him, I once again ask for his documents. Once he hands them to me, I walk back to my squad car to write out a ticket. When I'm done, I walk back just in time to see him stepping out of his car. In moments, he's charging at me. Without much effort I have him subdued, his face in the gravel and arms behind his back while I cuff him.

"You're under arrest." After reading him his Miranda rights, I pull him up and push him into the backseat of my car. Before closing the car door, I shake my head in disgust with him.

With my voice firm, calm and confident, I confront him, my eyes boring into his. "I'm not afraid of you anymore Mr. Tanner. I'm not the same person I was in high school." He stares back at me for a few seconds before turning away. Shaking my head in disgust, I push the car door closed and jump into the driver's seat. After turning on the ignition, I pull into traffic to drive him to the police station.

* * *

"What movie do you want to watch Caroline?" I ask her, carrying a bowl and two sodas into the living room with me. After she takes the bowl of popcorn from my hands, I set a can of soda down on the end table that's on her side of the couch. After setting my own soda down, I take a seat beside her. My apartment is surprisingly big. It has two bedrooms. The second one isn't girly but I still let Caroline pick the bedding and the curtains for that room. She was so surprised when she saw some of her drawings framed and hung on the walls. They are the pictures she made for me when Stefan 'poisoned' me in high school. I just couldn't part with them. I also have some of her drawings in my bedroom.

"We haven't watched ' _The Goonies_ ' in a long time," she says, looking at me with a smirk on her lips.

"You want to watch that movie? I think we've seen it a zillion times already," I laugh.

"I know but it's tradition for me and you," she pouts.

Nodding, "Yeah, I guess it is. Put it on."

"Thanks Damon."

"You're welcome." After putting it in the DVD player, she settles onto the couch, her head on the arm rest, her feet in my lap. Smiling to myself, I realize although her feet smell just a little bit, I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Sitting at my desk at the police station, I'm typing out my reports, not paying attention to anything around me. I look up when I hear my name.

"Damon?"

"Hi Ric. Have a seat. Is there something I can help you with?"

"That's why I'm here. We're having a career day in my class. I was hoping that you would agree to come to my class and talk about police work."

"You want me?" I ask, my mouth falling open.

"Yes, I want you. You've triumphed over so much adversity. I can't think of anyone better to talk to my kids."

"Um, I'd be honored, Ric. Wow."

"Can you come the day after tomorrow, say one o'clock?"

"Yeah, I actually have off that day."

"Great, I'll see you then," he replies, standing up.

Getting up, I follow him to the exit. "Say hi to Jenna and little Charlie for me okay?"

"Will do. I'll see you Thursday," he adds.

"Bye Ric," I reply and watch him walk away. Shaking my head, I go back to my desk to finish my reports.

* * *

Sucking in a deep breath, I walk towards my parent's door slowly. Just as I reach the door, it's almost as if I was suddenly struck by lightening. It dawns on me that I have nothing to be afraid of anymore. I went to Ric's class and talked to the children about bullying as well as what my job as a policeman entails. I answered their questions to the best of my ability. But they seemed much more interested in the fact that I was bullied relentlessly when I attended Mystic Falls High School. With the help and love of my family and others, I came out on top.

I remember reaching for this doorknob six years ago and how shaky my hand was. Chris was by my side then but today I can do this on my own. Grabbing a hold of the doorknob, I slowly turn it then walk inside.

"Damon, you're here," mom remarks, walking over and giving me a light hug.

"Are ' _they_ ' here?"

"Yeah, they're here. Come on," she coaxes, wrapping my arm in the crook of her elbow.

Smiling tightly, I nod. "Let's do this."

"Damon?" I hear when I step into the living room with my mom. He's a teenager now. I take a couple of big strides so I'm right in front of him. When he stands up, we embrace each other. Both of us are survivors after all.

"Look at you, Michael? My gosh, you're all grown up!"

"You too," he teases, sitting back down on the couch.

"Mr. and Mrs. James," I greet them extending my hand. His mother surprises me when she gives me a light hug.

"We haven't seen you since the trial Damon. Michael wanted to see you again. I hope we didn't inconvenience or upset you."

"No, not at all," I tell them truthfully. "I can't believe how big he's gotten. Who's this?"

"This is our daughter, Melanie. Come here sweetie, say hi to Damon." her mother instructs. Shyly Melanie shuffles over, half standing behind her dad. Stooping down to her level, I tell her hi and that it's nice to meet her. After she buries her face against her dad's stomach, I stand up and go to sit beside Michael on the couch.

"Your mom said that you're a police officer now. Do you like it?" Michael asks.

"Yeah Michael, I really do. Do you have any idea what you want to do when you grow up?"

"Not yet. Um Damon.. um, do you still have bad dreams? I still do sometimes."

"Once in a great while I do, Michael. I mean, living with the Parkers was hell. Some of those scars will always stay with me but I can say that those nightmares are rare now. I had, I mean have, so much love and support from my family. Without them, I don't know that I'd be alive now. I can remember thinking in my darkest days that maybe everyone would be better off if I was dead," I add, looking up when I hear my mom gasp.

"I'm sorry mom and dad. I never told anyone. But those thoughts absolutely crossed my mind. I never acted on them but they were there," I tell her, before turning back to Michael.

"You rescued me before things got bad for me and I just wanted to say thanks once more. I'll never forget what you did for me, Damon," Michael admits, biting his lower lip.

Looking down at my hands clenched in my lap, I close my eyes for just a second before looking at him again. "Remember when we went to the police station that day to ask for help?"

When he nods, I continue. "I remember telling Chris that I could never live with myself if I let them hurt another kid like they hurt me. I didn't have a choice, Mike. I had to save you."

He surprises me when he throws his arms around me. I unclasp mine and return the hug, holding him close. Several moments later, we pull away from each other. His dad tells him that they need to leave. Apparently they were on their way home from a vacation, deciding to come to see me at the last minute. My parents and I walk them outside to their car.

"Mike, if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me. Okay?"

Bobbing his head animatedly, he says goodbye then crawls into the back seat. As they pull away from the curb, he rolls down the window and waves at us.

"That was nice," Mom remarks.

"Yeah," I respond, a good feeling exploding in my chest as I wrap my arm around my mom's shoulder and walk us back into the house.

* * *

I find myself feeling a little melancholy today so I decide to go for a long run. This year I'm training for a half marathon that they're having in Mystic Falls this July fourth. I'm going to represent the police department. Plugging along as my feet pound the pavement, I work my way around the Falls trail. It's beautiful here in late spring with the wildflowers blooming. Stefan and Katherine are done with school soon. They're coming home for a couple of weeks before going back to Charlottesville as they both have summer jobs lined up. Katherine has a nice sized bump now as she gets closer to her due date.

Honestly, I can't wait to be officially an uncle. I feel like I'm an uncle to Chris and Amanda's children but this time, it'll be blood that binds us. When I have a little vacation time saved up, I'm going to go spend a week with Chris and Amanda. She says she misses having me around. In truth, I miss them too but I like being here in Mystic Falls with my family. Caroline spends the night at least once or twice a month. I actually enjoy spending time with her. She and I have been close practically since the day I came home.

So lost in my day dreams, I barely even noticed that I'm in the park now. Pulling to stop, I bend over, resting my palms just above my knees while I take several deep shuddering breaths. I try to push myself a little harder every day. When I stand up I grab my bottle of water, taking a big swig. Sucking in a big breath of air, I look around the park. A gasp escapes my lips when I see her sitting sedentary on one of the swings, her long chestnut hair blowing with the gusts of wind. Something comes over me because my feet begin moving on their own till I'm directly behind her.

Not wanting to startle her, I say her name softly, "Elena?"

"Damon?" she asks, starting to turn around.

"Don't turn around," I add, my voice anxious as I begin to push her swing gently.

"Damon?"

"No, no, listen. I... I miss you Elena, so so much. I know you found someone else but I was hoping maybe..," feeling a little frantic, my voice is quivering. Looking up at the sky for a moment, I suck in another breath.

 _Damn it, you're a man aren't you? Stop acting like a coward,_ I think to myself. Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I slowly walk around the frame of the swing set till I'm in front of her. My knees weaken when I see how very beautiful she still is. Everything in me is calling for her. Taking the swing beside her, I twist it so I can face her.

"What I was trying to say is that I miss you and if nothing else, I want to be your friend Elena."

"Damon," she says, looking away for a moment. "You hurt me... badly," she adds, turning her swing to face me too.

"I know that. I was in a bad place then, Elena. I know that's no excuse for what I did but... I just wanted you to be happy and I was holding you back."

"Don't you think it was a bit arrogant of you to make that decision for me? I know you've been through hell. Was I frustrated, sure but I was more than willing to wait till you were ready. But you took that decision away from me. We should have decided together."

Dropping my face into my hands, I struggle to gather my emotions. "Do you think you can ever forgive me? My feelings haven't changed, Elena. I love you more than I ever did." I watch as she sucks in her lower lip before turning to look at me, her eyes full of both sadness and understanding. Although afraid of what the answer will be, I need to know so I ask. "Um, that guy you were with for Charlie's birth, are you with him?"

"Ben?" she asks, chuckling.

Nodding, I shrug my shoulders.

"No," she answers, shaking her head. "Ben and I are just friends. My roommate, Margaret, is his girlfriend. She went to California with her folks for the holiday. With her permission, I asked him to come home with me. He was my friend first because we have several classes together. I'm the one who introduced them to each other."

"Thank Christ," I blurt out, relived. Taking a chance, I take her hands in mine, reveling in the pops and crackles that I always feel when I touch her.

"I know I have no right to ask this and I don't even know if you still feel the same but, Elena... can you somehow find it within yourself to give me another chance?" I plead, getting down on one knee in front of her, staring into her beautiful face. My eyes dart from her eyes to her lush lips and back to her eyes, before I slowly stand up, joining my lips with hers. I cradle her face with my palms, tilting her head so I can deepen the kiss. When I tease her lips with my tongue, she opens her mouth. I waste no time taking advantage of her invitation. We're both breathless when we pull back.

"Wow," she mumbles, her eyes glazed. Standing up, I offer her my hand and help her up. I reach up tentatively, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear before leaning forward to drop a kiss to her forehead.

"Let me take you on a date?"

"You want to take me on a date?" she asks, smiling.

"I do. I have my own apartment now. I could make you supper."

"When?"

"Is tonight too soon?"

Placing a hand on each side of my face, she pulls me down to kiss her again. Standing on her tiptoes, she whispers in my ear. "What time?"

"Seven? I'll pick you up."

"I'll see you then. Bye Damon."

"Bye," I whisper as I watch her walk away. When I don't see her anymore, I pump my fist in the air, screaming 'yes', not caring who sees me.

* * *

 _I asked you to have a little faith in me. Elena doesn't have a boyfriend. She didn't give up on Damon. She knew he needed time to find his wings..._

 _Thank you Eva for everything. Thank you all so much. I was absolutely stunned and so grateful that you all stepped up and gave me enough reviews to put this over the 300 mark. I can't thank you enough. Please keep it up.. We are nearing the end of this story._

 _Title: 'Simple and Clean' Theme song from 'Kingdom Hearts'._

 _Please take a look at 'Rainy Days and Mondays' and 'The Unforgiven'. They will be updating this weekend too._

* * *

 _And here is a sneak peak of 'Tears in Heaven':_

"Mr. Salvatore, you have pled guilty to driving under the influence. Do you understand how serious this charge is?"

"Yes, Your Honor, I do."

"You're very fortunate that no one had to pay the price for your incredibly stupid lapse in judgment," he continues. I can only nod and drop my eyes knowing full well how stupid it was to drink and drive.

"You are hereby sentenced to thirty days in the county jail. Twenty one days will be suspended if you complete two hundred hours of community service. You will serve your nine days in jail. Following that you will meet with your attorney to set up your community service requirement. If you fail to hold up your end, you will serve the remainder of your sentence. Am I clear?" he asks.

"Yes, Your Honor," I reply, my eyes focused on his.

"Mr. Salvatore, you are hereby remanded to custody to serve your nine days in jail. I don't ever want to see you in my courtroom again." I nod. As soon as the Judge exits the bench, two police officers handcuff me and lead me out of the courtroom.

* * *

"Damon, you have to get started with your community service or you'll go back to jail. Do you want to spend another three weeks sharing a cell with Guido?" Ric asks, his voice angry.

"What do you want me to do Ric? What service am I to myself, let alone anyone else?" I yell back at him.

"About that, I just got off the phone with the people at the courthouse. Tomorrow you are to be at 'Happy Dale Sanitarium' to start whittling down the hours you need to fulfill to satisfy your sentence."

"What the fuck, Ric?" I snap angrily. "What the hell am I supposed to do at a psychiatric facility?"

"Damon, you play piano. You can teach them how to balance a checkbook. You own your own business, well at least for now," he remarks pointedly.

"You'll teach them how to put their best face forward as they leave the facility and return to society. I did talk to the director of the facility. These are people that are on the cusp of being released. They want them to become productive members of society. None of the people you'll be interacting with have any violence in their backgrounds," he adds, his eyes peering into mine.

"Why would you ever think that this would be acceptable to me? Certainly there are other things I could do as long as I'm being forced to do this."

"Because of your unique history, Damon. Somewhere under that cold, aloof façade, there is a decent guy underneath. I'm hoping this will help you find him again."

Grimacing, I get up and shove my chair out of the way, "Don't Ric," I seethe.

"Damon, Stefan has been covering your ass and keeping your business afloat. You need to get your life in order and get back in the game," he stresses, his voice firm.

Having heard enough, I start to walk of out of his office.

"Where are you going?" he demands to know, grabbing ahold of my elbow.

"Anywhere but here," I yell, trying to pull my arm out of his grasp.

"Stop acting like a child, Damon. You're a grown man and look at you! Throwing temper tantrums like a spoiled toddler. God, who are you?" he asks, gripping my arm tightly, his angry glare zeroing in on my eyes.

Sighing heavily, I relax my stature long enough for him to let go. "What time do I need to be there tomorrow?" I ask, my once defiant voice now soft in surrender.

"The center director is expecting you at nine sharp."

Nodding, and with my shoulders slumped, I walk out of his office, pulling the door closed behind me.

* * *

 _I'm not through writing it yet. But Eva and I are working on what I hope are the final few chapters. I'm hoping to start posting it by the middle of November. Hopefully sooner but it is a complicated plot. For whatever reason, I've really struggled with this one._

 _As always, have a safe and happy weekend. Thank you all again. Until next time..._


	23. Hero

Nervously, I walk down the sidewalk to Elena's front door. Here goes nothing, I think to myself when I raise my hand to push the doorbell. Rubbing my clammy hands, on my jeans, I look up when I hear the door open.

"Come in, Damon," Ric says, opening it up while gesturing for me to come inside.

"I've been rooting for you," he whispers conspiratorially.

Unable to hold back a laugh, "Thanks Ric, I'm rooting for me too."

"Is Damon here?" Elena yells from upstairs.

"Yes, he's here."

"I'll be right down, Damon."

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere this time."

"Good to know," she yells back. A few minutes later, she walks down the stairs. She's absolutely beautiful in her v-neck tee shirt and skinny jeans with flats. Walking up to her, I press a kiss to her cheek.

"You are stunningly beautiful," I tell her, completely in awe of the woman in front of me.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she teases.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," she replies, taking my hand as we walk outside. After holding the car door open for her, I jump into the driver's seat. We drive around for a little while, making small talk till I finally pull into the parking area that's behind papa's store. Walking around to her side of the car, I pull her door open and offer her my hand. I unlock the backdoor and hold it open for her. Once we're inside, I gesture for her to lead the way upstairs. Unlocking this door too, I step inside, once again holding the door for her.

"Wow, Damon. This is really nice."

"Thanks. I really like it a lot. I never knew this apartment was up here till papa mentioned it. Mom and Caroline helped me decorate it. We found some used furniture at a second hand store in Fell's Church. Have a seat, I'm going to check on our food."

"Do you need any help?"

"No, you're my guest," I reply with a wink and a smile. "You can turn on the TV if you'd like," I add as I start to set the table. After I set a vase of flowers on our table, she gets up and walks over to me.

"Are these for me?" she asks, bending over and to take a whiff.

Leaning forward, I steal a kiss from her lips. "They are."

"They're beautiful, thank you." I smile before walking back to the kitchen area. Once I finish setting our food on the table, I pull her seat out for her so she can sit down. I didn't make anything fancy. I baked a chicken and threw some vegetables in with it so everything could be made in one roaster. My dad gave me the bottle of wine. He made a point of telling me that it goes good with poultry. I grab the wine glasses that are sitting to my right on the table, pour some and slide it over to her.

Picking up her wine glass, she takes a sip. "It's good."

"Dad picked it for me. I have no idea what kind of wine goes with chicken or what kind goes with beef?" I mutter, shaking my head. We don't say much as we eat as we're just enjoying being together again. Although I do feel a little anxious, I'm not going to do anything to make her doubt me again.

"I want to tell you something, Damon." Curious, I turn to give her my full attention.

"I just want you to know that I never gave up on you. Even though I wanted to be able to help you through the bad parts, I knew this was something you needed to do on your own. You know, to realize your self worth and all. But I will have you know that I wasn't going to wait much longer. If you hadn't approached me, I was going to come after you," she teases, stepping on her tip toes to give me a peck on the lips.

"I love you, Damon. I never stopped."

"I don't know what to say. Thank you for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. I love you so much." After pulling her into my arms, I kiss her urgently, hoping to convey all that I feel. We're both panting when I pull back. Standing up, I gather up our dirty dishware and put them in the sink. Elena offers to help me do the dishes. She washes while I dry and put them away. When we're done, I hang our dish towels on the oven handle, then I take her hand and pull her into the living room with me. Unable to restrain myself any longer, I pull her flush against my chest, stealing another torrid kiss from her lips. Gently I lower her onto the couch. Sucking in a deep breath, I lower myself on top of her, pressing my lips to hers once more.

"Damon," she utters breathlessly, "We need to slow it down a little."

"I'm sorry," I whisper, pulling myself up and sitting down.

"Don't apologize, I want this too," she tells me, reaching for my hand.

Biting on my lower lip, I take a deep breath. "It's my first time, Elena. I don't know what you like." Feeling anxious, I look down at my now clenched hands.

Sitting up, she scoots over till our bodies are touching. Reaching up, she places her hand on my cheek, forcing me to look at her. "It's my first time too, Damon."

My mouth drops agape for just a moment. When I feel a wide smile forming, I wrap my hand around her neck and pull her close so my lips are next to her ear. "I love you so much. Thank you for never giving up on me."

"Of course and Damon, I love you too, more than I ever thought was possible," she whispers, this time it's her who steals a kiss from me. With her conceding nod, I take a hold of the hem of her shirt and lift it over her head. In turn, she does the same, tugging my own shirt off, haphazardly tossing it over her shoulder. Moving slowly, she sits on my lap, placing her palms on either side of my face.

"Relax Damon," she tells me softly. She takes her hands and starts to stroke my arms and then my back causing me to flinch. "Is something wrong?"

"It's my scars. They're hideous," I admit, dropping my gaze.

"Let me see," she whispers. I realize for this to work, I need to share every part of me, both the good and the bad. I press a quick kiss to her forehead then reposition myself so my back is facing her.

"You want to know what I see?" she whispers. Unable to speak, I just shrug my shoulders.

"You may think they're hideous, Damon. But to me, they're a symbol of your strength. It's not your physical strength, it's your emotional strength. I know those people tortured you but look at you now. You won, Damon. You won." In seconds, I feel her lips kissing my back. Closing my eyes, I visibly relax with each touch of her lips to my abused skin.

"Thank you," I breathe. She places her hand on my shoulder encouraging me to face her again. Standing up, I offer her my hand. When she gives it to me, I lead her into my bedroom. Sinking to my knees in front of her, I reach up to place my hands on her flat tummy. Sucking in a breath, I shakily take a hold of jeans. Raising my eyes to hers as I unsnap them. With her nod, I pull them slowly down her legs. She grabs onto my shoulders for balance as she steps out of them. I can't help but stop a minute to admire her beautiful body as I drop kisses to the inside of her thighs and her belly before standing up and pulling her headfirst into a red-hot knee-weakening kiss. Without taking my lips from hers, I wrap my arms around her, lifting her onto the mattress where I proceed to crawl up her body, pressing myself against her intimately.

Needing air, she pulls away from the kiss. "You're entirely too over dressed," she pouts.

"Help a guy out here, would you?"

Nodding, she flips us so my back is laying against the mattress. Her hair drapes us when she leans in to lift a kiss from my lips. Using her own shaky hands, she unbuttons my jeans. When I lift my hips, she waggles her eyebrows lustily before pulling my jeans and boxers down my legs, leaving me bared to her for the first time.

"Now you're overdressed," I pant, when she wraps her hand around me. I'm lost in the ecstasy of having her silky soft hands touch me this way. It feels unbelievably good but I don't want to go off like a rocket just yet. I reach down, placing my hand atop hers, stopping her ministrations.

"Come here," I whisper, pulling her onto my chest. As if my hand has a mind of its own, I reach around and unclasp her bra. She raises up when I pull the straps down her arms. She's more beautiful than I remember. Rolling us over, I start to nuzzle her neck with nips and pecks, brushing my lips against that spot just behind her ear. When I hear her whimpering, I raise up, capturing her lips once more. Descending down her body, I pull one of her nipples into my mouth while my hand gently takes a hold of her other one. I sense I'm doing this right when I hear her moan and whimper while writhing beneath me.

Releasing her breast, I reach down and gently push my fingers into her panties. Finding her lady parts moist, I sit back and look at her. Although panting, she nods so I use my fingers and pull her panties down her svelte legs. I suck my lower lip into my mouth as I stare at the gorgeous woman that's waiting for me. Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I start kissing my way back up her body, dropping my face between her legs, pleasuring her with my mouth, tongue and fingers.

"Uh.. uh...," she moans aloud at the same time I feel her body unravel before me. Dropping one final kiss to the apex of her thighs, I raise up and roll beside her on the bed. Using my fingers, I coax her through her orgasm. Feeling a keen sense of satisfaction that I brought her to such heights of please and put that rapturous look on her face, my ego feels ten feet high.

When she can speak again and although her eyes are glazed, she pulls me on top of her. "I want you," she breathes, pressing her lips firmly against mine.

"And I want you. I love you Elena," I whisper reverently.

Pulling back, I reach into my bedside drawer to grab a condom. I bought a box a long time ago in hopes that one day Elena would be here in this moment with me. Ripping the packet open, I take it out. Taking it from my hand, I moan loudly when Elena slides it on. Finally I'm laying between the cradle of her legs, right where I want to be but I need to be sure. Sucking my lower lip between my teeth, I drop my eyes, warring with myself as to whether or not I can go through with this.

"Damon?" she whispers, reaching up to finger the hair from my forehead before placing her hand on my cheek. Raising her head, she kisses me. When she pulls back, she tilts her head just slightly, whispering, "Stop over thinking it. Just be here..., in this moment with me."

Finding my resolve, I nod forcefully. I steal another scorching kiss from her lips, holding on while I start to tease her entrance with my tip. When I come up for air, I place my palms on either side of her face. "Are you sure?" I ask, my voice barely audible.

"Yes, I'm sure, Damon," she pants, raising her hips ever so slightly to tease me back. I take a few seconds to close my eyes, the need to gather my courage is overwhelming. After opening them, I kiss her once more. I can't seem to get enough of her lush lips. With our lips joined, I slowly sink into her for the first time, connecting us like never before. I can't even describe how it feels to be inside of her. Having this woman beneath me and in my bed makes me feel bullet proof and so very loved. When I feel her body flinch lightly, I stop and lower my lips to her neck and to her cheeks and 'that' spot that's behind her ear. Seeing the beginnings of tears at the corners of her eyes, I kiss the moisture away while brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Raising my eyes to hers, she smiles, lifting her head slightly to kiss each corner of my mouth.

"I'm okay, Damon. You can move now." I moan aloud when I feel her hands clutch my ass, pulling me in deeper. In no time at all, I feel myself losing my rhythm and when I surge deep inside her once more, suddenly I'm soaring. The only thing I see as my body convulses with please is blinding white flashes and pleasure unlike anything I've ever felt before. When I feel Elena's body jerk and shudder, I think she crossed the threshold right along with me.

After blowing out a puff of air I didn't know I was holding, I suck in a shuddering breath and roll off of her. I take a moment to get rid of the condom, dropping it into the waste basket that's beside my bed. Turning back to face her, I smile when I see her eyes glazed and her mouth hanging open. I wrap her in my arms, press a kiss to the crown of head and start to caress her back lovingly.

"Damon, that was..."

"I know baby, I know. I... I love you, Elena. I don't even know how to express how much it means that you saved this for me."

"Who else was I going to give it too?" she teases, raising up on her elbow and kissing me languidly. Although she tries to disguise it, I see her yawn.

"You're tired." Reaching up, I palm her cheek for a second before pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Another yawn and a nod of her head tells me I'm right. I cuddle her warm body against mine and continue to pet her back. In moments, I feel her breathing even out as her slight puffs of breath blow rhythmically against my nipple. I shift just a bit because as good as it felt, my girl is tired and I'm not going to push her for round two tonight. After pressing one more loving kiss to the top of her head, I close my eyes replaying the events of this day. I was stunned when she told me that she waited for me.

After everything I put her through, she still saved that part of herself for me. I don't know if she dated in college or not but knowing that she wanted me the whole time does wicked things to my newly awakened libido. Sucking in a deep breath, I suppress these thoughts and focus on the rise and fall of her chest as she breathes. My heart is so full of love and respect for her. Smiling, I drop a kiss to her hair, whispering I love you. With my body feeling so tranquil, it takes mere moments for sleep to overcome my senses.

* * *

My feet continue to pound the pavement. I have a mile left and I'll have completed my first half marathon. Elena, Caroline and the rest of my family should be waiting at the finish line for me. Come on Damon, one foot in front of the other, I say to myself when I start to tire. Between the distance and the heat, I'm beginning to wear out. I pause a second to take a drink of water and wipe the sweat from my brow and then I take off again, hoping to finish in the top ten.

Finally the finish line is in sight. I look around till I see Elena standing on the roadside beside Caroline. My parents are standing alongside Chris to cheer me on. He drove up to spend the weekend with me since Amanda and their kids flew to Idaho to see her family.

I stumble but manage to stay upright long enough to cross the finish line, only to crash onto the pavement right afterwards. Landing hard on my knee, I grimace when I see it bleeding pretty profusely.

"Damon, oh my God," Elena runs over to me screaming, Caroline right behind her. After getting a good look, Elena runs off. "Ewww," Caroline remarks before running off after Elena. My mouth drops in confusion as I watch them run away. My dad and Chris help me stand up and hobble off of the side of the road before helping me sit down on the grass. Just then Elena comes back, an ice bag in hand. Pressing it against my knee, she leans over to drop a kiss on my lips.

"I'm proud of you baby," she says, smiling widely. "You finished fourth. FOURTH out of fifty people," she squeals, raising her hand to give me a high five.

Since there was a Dr. on hand in case anyone keeled over with heat exhaustion or some other malady, he comes over and cleans up my knee, dressing it with Vaseline gauze and kerlix then securing it with an ACE bandage.

With her arm around my middle and mine over her shoulders, I gingerly walk beside her till we get back to my car. Tossing her the keys, I climb into the passenger side while she gets behind the wheel.

"Where to?"

"Let's go home first so I can wash up. Then we can over to my folks so I can spend a little time with Chris."

Raising her eyebrows cunningly, she tells me to buckle up. Not liking the sound of that, I reach around and secure my seat belt, white knuckling the arm rest when she guns the engine and speeds off down the highway.

"You do realize that you're driving with a cop, don't you?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Really!" she asks being all melodramatic.. She looks my way, gives me a wink them turns her eyes back to the road, pushing even harder on the gas pedal.

* * *

Taking Elena's hand in mine, we walk into the hospital in Charleston. Katherine and Stefan had their baby yesterday. Mom, Dad and Caroline drove over this morning. I had to work today so Elena and I had to wait till I got off of work to make the trip.

Walking up to the information desk, I ask the lady, "Can you tell us where Katherine Salvatore's room is? She had a baby last night."

"Go all the way down that corridor till you get to a set of elevators. Go up to the fourth floor and make a right. You end up at the nurses station. They can tell you which room."

"Thank you mam," Elena tells her. We take off down the hall as instructed. When we get to the nurses desk in the obstetrics department, we ask again where Katherine's room is. She was supposed to go home today but she spiked a temperature so the Dr. insisted she stay in the hospital.

Knocking on the door, we wait till we hear Stefan's voice before we step inside.

"Elena, Damon. Come in," he tells us, pulling me into a one armed hug.

"Are mom and dad here?" I ask since they're not in the room.

"Caroline was hungry so they went down to the cafeteria to get her something."

"How are you Katherine?" Elena asks, taking the seat that Stefan vacated.

"I'm fine, no more fever. Dr. Martin said I could go home tomorrow if it doesn't come back. They've been giving me IV antibiotics since last evening," she explains.

"Knock, knock," a nurse says, stepping in the room, pushing the bassinette inside.

"Is this my nephew?" I ask, my voice full of wonderment.

"Yep," Stefan says, he looks so proud, I'm surprised the buttons on his shirt don't pop.

"Hey little man," I whisper bending over to press a kiss to his downy head. I place my finger by his little hand, smiling ear to ear when he wraps his tiny fingers around it.

"What his name?"

"Zachary Joseph Salvatore. He's named after your dad and my grandpa." Katherine informs us.

Wanting to hold the little guy in my arms, I turn to Stefan. "May I?"

"Just be careful with his head," Stefan says, trying to hide a grimace when I lift him up and snuggle him against my chest.

Elena stands up, stepping over to stand in front of me. She smiles widely when he wraps his bitty hand around her index finger. Standing on her tiptoes, she gives me a kiss, whispering, "Someday Mr. Salvatore."

* * *

"Did you know that Enzo asked Caroline to the seventh and eighth grade dance?" Elena teases, staring at Caroline.

"Did he now?" I ask, looking at my little sister. Elena and I pretty much live together now. She has to go back to college this fall. She has one year left so we'll be doing the long distance thing. There's no way I'm letting her slip through my grasp a second time. I love her so much. Caroline is spending the night with us. Elena has a picnic laid out on the floor in front of the TV. We're also having a Disney marathon watching the original versions of both ' _The Three Lives of Thomasina'_ and _'The Shaggy Dog'_ And if Caroline is still awake, we're also going to watch ' _Darby O'Gill and the Little People'._

We're kind of hoping Caroline will doze off early so we can sneak away to the rooftop because it's a cloudless night and the stars are shining brightly. After I set the chicken, coleslaw and potato chips on the floor, I go back to the kitchen to grab plates and silverware. I hand one to each of them before sitting down cross legged on the floor too. I scoot over and put the DVD in the player.

"So Caroline, about Enzo taking you to the dance? I think I work that night. I may decide to make an appearance," I tease, raising one eyebrow at her.

"You wouldn't!" she screeches, acting scandalized.

"What if I want a dance with my best girl?"

She screws up her face for a moment then crosses her arms over her chest, "What am I supposed to say to that?" she asks, making her voice deep before breaking out into a giggle.

Elena and I both start laughing too. "I love you, Caroline," I snort.

"Hush up," she scolds. "Let's watch the movie. Momma said these Disney movies were some of her favorites when she was a little girl."

"Okay," I tell her, reaching over to muck up her hair.

"You mussed up my hair. Elena fixed it for me," she, pouts, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Damon, quit teasing her," Elena admonishes me.

"You two are no fun," I utter, sticking my tongue out and turning away to watch the movie. Next thing I know, the two of them tackle me. Both of them are tickling me relentlessly.

I'm trying to talk but I can't because I'm laughing so hard my stomach hurts. Just when I think they've given up, Caroline yells 'dog pile'. Elena jumps on top of me then Caroline jumps on top of her.

"Uncle," I blurt out, still laughing.

"Are you going to be nice now?" Elena asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Absolutely!" I reply, giving her a mock salute. Finally they get off of me. After I clean up the dishes and put the food away, I join the two of them on the couch, dropping between my two favorite girls. After wrapping an arm around each of them, we sit back and enjoy the movies.

* * *

"Ssshhh," I whisper to Elena so we don't wake Caroline as we're sneaking outside. Ever so slowly, I push my window open and crawl out, landing on the fire escape. Carrying a blanket in one hand, I offer Elena the other to help her out. Stealthily we make our way up the ladder to reach the roof.

I spread out the blanket and pull her down on top of me. Clasping her face gently but firmly in my hands, I pull her lips to mine, stealing a tempestuous kiss from her already kiss swollen lips, having already tasted her lush and pouty lips before sneaking outside. Without warning, I pull her camisole off over her head. Her breasts are heaving as I roll us over so I'm on top. I lower my mouth to her perfect breasts, suckling and gently biting her nipples till she squirming beneath me. I sit up and pull her baby doll panties off of her legs. Staring at her appreciatively, I stand up to take my tee shirt and boxers off before joining her on the blanket.

"Tell me what you want baby," I ask, my voice husky with arousal. She stares at me for a long moment before pushing me onto my back. Straddling me, she runs her thumb along my slit, spreading around the moisture she finds there before wrapping her hand around my length. My breath hitches as I struggle to bite back a moan since I don't want to wake Caroline.

She splays her hands across my chest massaging me lovingly. She flashes me a wicked grin before sinking down, taking me inside. She gives herself a moment to adjust to my girth. With a lascivious wink, she starts sliding up and down, her breasts bouncing to the rhythm she's setting. She's so unbelievably sexy and she's all mine. I start snapping my hips in tandem with hers. When I reach up to take a hold of her breasts, she throws her head back, gasping aloud. As my hips continue to slam into her, I lace the fingers of one of my hands with one of hers. Together we begin to stroke her bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. I'm completely in awe, watching as she splinters beautifully, her body erupting with chill bumps as she quivers and jerks above me before dropping bonelessly onto my chest. Wrapping my arms around her, I thrust once then two more times and then I shatter, releasing inside of her as I shoot across the galaxy right along with her. Once I can feel my body again, I keep her snuggled against my chest for quite awhile. When she starts to squirm, I drop a kiss to the crown of her head.

"Let's go back to bed. I really don't want Caroline to find us up here," I whisper, pressing a another kiss to the top of her head.

Still clinging to the dreamy state between wake and sleep, she buries her head further into my chest. "I don't want to move. I love being in your arms so much."

"Oh baby, heaven is having you in my arms." Carefully I reposition her so I can stand up. Stretching my muscles, I just stare at the stars for a long moment. Yawning deeply, I bend over and pick her up.

"Elena, you have to help me here. I don't want either of us to fall off of the ladder."

"Mmm kay." Standing up, albeit on shaky legs, she latches onto my arm, following me to the fire escape. Cautiously I get on the ladder first, wrapping an arm around her middle as we make our way back to the window. Once inside, I lift her onto the bed and tuck her in. I quickly climb back up to grab our clothes and the blanket, dropping them on the floor when I get back into our room. Yawning deeply, I take a moment to use the bathroom and get a drink of water before crawling under the covers. I roll onto my side and pull her body close, drop a kiss to the back of her head. Unable to keep my eyes open any longer, I bury my face in her hair then drift off, sleeping peacefully with her in my arms.

 _And then a hero comes along_

 _With the strength to carry on_

 _And you cast your fears aside_

 _And you know you can survive_

 _So when you feel like hope is gone_

 _Look inside you and be strong_

 _And you'll finally see the truth_

 _That a hero lies in you_

* * *

 _One more chapter... :(_

 _Thank you so much Eva. Thanks for helping me do justice to this story line and Damon's character in this story. I didn't want to take his struggle lightly. I wanted it to be realistic yet treated with the respect he and his story deserved._

 _Thanks so much, all of you, that take that extra few seconds to write a review. And thank you all for being so patient with me regarding the 'M' rated scenes. I just didn't feel that Damon could go there till his head was in a good place._

 _Title: 'Hero' by 'Mariah Carey'._

 _I posted the first two chapters of 'Tears in Heaven'. Please give it a look._

 _'Rainy Days and Mondays' and 'The Unforgiven' are still in progress. Please give those a read and review too._

 _Have a safe and happy weekend. We'll see you for the epilogue next week._


	24. What a Wonderful World

_Well here it is, the conclusion of 'What if I Was Nothing'. I'm both sad and happy to have reached this moment. I'll see you at the bottom._

 _'The future doesn't belong to the faint hearted; it belongs to the brave'. President Reagan_

* * *

Approximately fifteen months later:

"I'm glad that's over," I utter, opening the door to our apartment so we can go in. I'm still living in the apartment above my grandpa's antique shop. I actually love living here. Occasionally we can hear some customer noise from the store but most of the time, it's quite peaceful.

"How does it feel to be a college graduate?" I ask, pulling her into my arms.

Standing on her tip toes, she raises up, pressing a kiss to my lips. "It feels really good."

"Yes, it does," I tease, kissing her some more. Raising my eye brows alluringly, I press my lips to the spot just behind her ear, whispering, "I'm glad we're finally alone." I then take her hand and pull her into our bedroom as I start unbuttoning her blouse with the other hand. The edge of the bed stops us but I continue working on her buttons, one by one. She reaches for me with her hands, lifting my suit jacket off of my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Next she uses those talented fingers to undo my tie, letting it waft to the floor after pulling it off of me. I suck in a breath when her hands move to my waist where she starts undoing my belt first and then the clasp on my suit pants.

"Uh.. uh.. uh..," I whisper, waving my index finger in front of her at the same time that I'm flashing my eye thing.

"What?" she teases, grabbing a hold of the bottom of my shirt, ripping it open causing the buttons to fly.. She looks up at me then leans in, sucking lightly on the sensitive skin just below my ear, murmuring her desire. Looking up at me, she smirks, seeing my appetite for her already etched clearly on my face.

"Mm, someone is excited," she whispers, my knees feeling weak when she starts rubbing my aching bulge with her hand.

"You have no idea." I whimper loudly when she starts stroking me with a more firm hand. It takes everything in me but somehow I manage to pull her hand away.

"Damon," she pouts, biting on her lower lip.

"Elena, you're wearing too many clothes." Raising my eyebrows, I reach for her zipper. Understanding dawns on her and with a smirk of her own, she starts doing a striptease, reaching around to unzip her skirt, shimmying it down her hips. Stepping out of it, she flicks one shoe off and then the other. Sucking in a deep breath, I'm completely mesmerized by the beauty in front of me. Sometimes I still can't believe that she chose me. When all she has left to remove is her bra and panties, I step out of my own trousers that still lay crumpled at my feet. I take a moment to kick off my shoes and lift her caveman style over my shoulder. Smiling at the sound of her giggles, I toss her gently onto our bed. After eyeing her appreciatively for a few seconds, I stalk up her body, pressing my lips to hers till she's squirming and wiggling her hips in need.

"I'll take care of you baby," I whisper. Inhaling deeply when I find dampness between her legs. I plunge a finger into her hot wet center, stretching her lovingly. When I see her mouth fall open, I raise up, capturing a nipple between my lips. When she flinches, I let go. "Are you okay?"

"Absolutely," she whispers, reaching up and pulling my mouth back to her breasts. I suckle, nip and tug gently with my teeth till she's writhing uncontrollably beneath me. Then she cries out at the same time I feel her insides contracting against my fingers.

"I can feel you cumming," I blurt out, completely in awe. After coaxing her through it, I reach over, grabbing a condom from the bedside stand. After sheathing myself, I ease myself inside, rocking gently till I hear her.

"Faster," she whispers. I kick it up a notch, delving deeper with each rhythmic push. Her hips rise up to meet my frenzied thrusts. We keep up the pace for several moments when I pull out and help her onto her knees. Leaning over, I press kisses along the length of her spine, grab her hips and push inside of her sweet body once more. Her hips buck and arch and collide with mine in perfect rhythm with each urgent thrust of my engorged manhood. I hear her breath quickening as her body shifts relentlessly from the force of our hips meeting in a dance as old as time. Suddenly I'm seized by a rush of sensation so intense, I come explosively, collapsing onto her back. Although I'm spent, I wrap an arm around her middle, somehow still managing to piston my hips a couple more times till she cries aloud, tumbling into infinity right after me.

Rolling off of her, I pull her against me till my breathing evens out. "I'm sorry, baby. I wanted to wait for you."

Turning her head towards me, she raises up onto her elbow, lifting a kiss from my lips. "Don't," she says, pressing her fingers against my lips. "It was out of this world."

"Really?" I ask, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

Repositioning herself till she snuggled into my arms, she whispers, "Really," then closes her eyes. Smiling to myself, I press a kiss to her sweat dampened hair, close my eyes and lapse into sleep right along with her.

* * *

I've had a long tough day at work by the time I step into the house. School is just about out for the year so Caroline will be spending more time with us. When I hear crying, I rush into our apartment to see what's wrong. I'm taken aback when I see Elena comforting Caroline.

"What wrong?" I ask, dropping my things and rushing over to Caroline. She looks at me with red, puffy eyes, tears cascading down her cheeks.

"En...zo..," she blubbers, her voice hoarse with tears.

"What did he do?"

"He has to go out of town with his parents next weekend. He can't be her escort for the 'Junior Miss Mystic Falls dance'," Elena answers, clueing me in.

"I'm sorry Caroline. If you wouldn't be too embarrassed, I can be your date." I look from Caroline to Elena, who's smiling widely at me.

"You would do that?" she asks, sniffling.

"Yes."

"Thank you, Damon." Throwing herself at me, she presses a kiss to my cheek. Since she's getting so tall, I don't have to stoop over to hug her anymore. "You have to wear a suit though."

"Why do I have to wear a suit?" I ask, pulling away from her.

"Because it's a formal dance," Elena mentions.

"Okay. Now stop crying. Aren't you supposed to be helping mom today? She mentioned something about painting your room?"

"Yeah, I better go. I'll see you later," she says, reaching up and giving me another hug. After hugging Elena too, she grabs her backpack and walks to the door. Turning around, she waves goodbye then steps out, pulling the door closed behind her.

* * *

"Grandpa, I need some help." I stop, pausing for a moment while I help him move some heavy items in his store.

"What can I help you with?" After setting the heavy vase down in its new display area, I turn to look into my grandpa's eyes.

"I'm going to ask Elena to marry me but I need a ring. I don't make that much money, but I still would like to get her something nice."

"Congratulations Damon. I'm happy for you."

"Maybe you should wait to see if she says yes," I utter nervously.

"Damon, as if you have anything to worry about," he scoffs. "You know, I have just the thing for you." He turns around and walks into his office, leaving me feeling a bit perplexed, especially when I hear him shuffling around as well as drawers opening and closing.

"Do you need some help?"

"No, I've got it now." When he walks out of his office, I can't help but notice the little black box he has in one of his hands. He drops it into my hands. "Take a look." Opening the box, my eyes widen when I see an antique looking white gold ring with an emerald cut yellow stone.

"Is this a real yellow diamond?" I ask, completely in awe of it's beauty.

"It is. That ring belonged to my mother. I want you to have it."

Closing the box, I shake my head and start to shove it back into his hands. "I can't, it's too much."

"Nonsense. Elena will love it and you know it."

"She will but..."

"No buts, Damon," he scolds. Overcome, I wrap my arms around him and give him a hug.

"Thank you."

"Alright, let's get back to work now." After sticking the little box in my pocket, I go back to helping him rearrange things in the store.

* * *

"Are you home, sweetheart?" she asks when she steps into our place.

"Yeah, I'm in the bedroom. I'll be right out." Taking a breath, I walk into the kitchen to join her.

"What's all this?" she asks, pointing to our little dining table. I have flowers in a vase, a couple of candles are burning and the plates and stemware are set out for the two of us.

"I wanted to surprise you with a nice evening." Reaching in my pocket, I nervously finger the little black box that's hiding there.

"The flowers are nice. Did you get them from Enzo Sr.'s flower shop?"

"I did. I told Enzo Jr., that I would be escorting Caroline to the dance. He seemed glad that I'm taking her and not some other guy that he would have to compete with."

"I ordered her a wrist corsage for you to give her. I'll pick it up tomorrow. Your mom said her dress was a pretty azure color. You have that pretty tie that's kind of a teal color. I think it'll go nicely with your black suit and her dress." she mentions.

"I do too. Why don't you relax for a bit while I finish getting supper ready?"

"I think I'll step in the shower."

"Sounds good, I'll have supper on the table by the time you get out."

Nodding, she presses a kiss to my cheek then walks into our bedroom. I'm just setting the food out when she comes back. She's wearing a robe, her feet are bare and she has her hair wrapped up in a towel. And she wouldn't be any more beautiful if she was wearing a ball gown and glass slippers. After we sit down and eat, I excuse myself on the pretense of getting dessert. I stealthily sneak back. It's only when I sink to the floor beside her that she looks up.

"What's going on?" she asks.

Raising the little black box so she can see it, I slowly open it up. "Elena, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?" My voice, nervous and cracking with anxiety, sounds foreign even to me.

Her mouth drops at the same time tears erupt from her eyes. Unable to talk she just nods her head up and down before throwing her arms around me. When I wrap my arms around her, we topple over, both laughing and crying at the same time.

"Put it on," she demands, her voice thick with emotion from her tears. I take it out of the box and slide it on 'that' finger. "It's gorgeous, Damon. You did good."

"Papa helped me pick it."

"Your papa has good taste," she says softly before pulling my lips to hers so forcefully that I feel my knees weakening from the magic of having her lips melting into mine.

* * *

"Miss Caroline Salvatore will be escorted by Officer Damon Salvatore," resounds on the loud speaker as I wait at the bottom of the steps for her. Raising my eyes, she carefully comes down, one step at time. Her azure-colored dress bounces showing a little bit of ankle with each step she takes. As soon as she reaches me, I hold out my hand for her. Smiling widely, she drops her hand into mine then we walk to dance floor side by side. As soon as the music starts, we raise our hands for the 'near touch', circling around each other. Then I embrace her and we begin the dance. Fortunately Elena showed me the moves or I'd make a fool of not only myself but Caroline too. We swirl around till the music stops. Holding out my arm, she links hers with mine and we make our way to where our parents and Elena are standing.

"Mom," I greet her, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"You two were wonderful," mom gushes, linking her fingers with Caroline's.

"You did a really great job." Elena wraps her arms around my neck then presses a kiss to my lips.

"Damon, let's go get some punch for the ladies," dad asks, motioning for me to follow him.

"None for me," Elena says, looking just a little rough around the edges.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, my stomach is just a little upset."

"Do you want to go home?"

"And ruin Caroline's day? We'd never hear the end of it," she scoffs.

"If you change your mind, say something," I tell her, concern in my voice. After seeing her nod, I turn and walk away with my dad.

"Why are you so giddy?" dad asks, looking at me curiously.

"It's nothing really dad. It's just... it's just that I'm so lucky to be here. If Kai hadn't taken Michael, I never would've left the Parkers. I might not even be alive if...," I whisper, reaching up to pinch the bridge of my nose to keep my tears from falling. Dad surprises me when he pulls me into a hug.

"Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful to have you with us, Damon. I'm sorry that had to happen to Michael but you're right, he's pretty much the sole reason you're with us now. As much as I love Stefan and Caroline, it's you who I'm most proud of. You've overcome so much to be the man you are today. You're my hero," dad says quietly, giving me one more squeeze.

I don't stop the tear that leaks from my eyes. "I love you dad," I whisper, giving him another hug. Once I let go, I wipe my eyes, realizing how lucky I am to have this man to call dad.

* * *

When I get home from work it's really quiet in the house. "Elena?" I call out softly. We're planning our wedding but it's just going to be a small affair in my parent's yard. We're trying to save our money to buy a house with a nice yard. Elena applied for and got the librarian job at the school almost immediately after graduation. She has the summer off and won't have to start work till school resumes in September. I couldn't be happier for her and for us.

Stefan is in law school. My little nephew, Zach is two now. I think Stefan wants another one but he wants to wait till he's done with school. Jeremy eloped with his college sweetheart, Anna. Currently, they're backpacking across the country. He gives us a call every couple of weeks or so to let us know where they're at and how they're doing. Chris and Amanda are expecting their third child any day now. This one was a happy accident since they're both forty years old now, having started their family late. Caroline still spends a lot of time here. She and mom go at it sometimes. Mom says it comes with having a teenaged daughter.

I look around not finding her till I walk into our bedroom where I find Elena sprawled out, sound asleep on our bed. I tip toe over to her and press a kiss to her forehead. Carefully I pick up a strand of her hair and use it to tickle her lips and her nose, run it across her eyelid. I can't help but laugh when she wrinkles her nose up.

"Damon?"

"Hey baby. Are you feeling okay?"

"Um.. Come here," she says, grabbing a hold of my arm, pulling me onto the bed beside her.

"You didn't answer me. Are you okay?" I ask, reaching up to push a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nothing that won't be fixed in about seven months," she teases.

"Seven months?" I ask, perplexed.

"Damon...," she says, rolling her eyes.

"What?" I repeat, still not comprehending what she's getting at.

"Do you really not know what I'm implying?" she says, laughing at me.

"If you're pregnant, that's nine months, so no, I don't know what happens in seven months," I reply a bit disgruntled.

"It's seven months if I'm already eight weeks along."

My mouth drops agape, "we're going to have a baby?" I ask, my voice full of wonderment.

"Y.E.S."

Pulling her tightly into my arms, I press a sweltering kiss to her lips. Do you know how happy that makes me?"

"Pretty darn," she teases. "I love you, Damon."

"And I love you too, 'soon to be Mrs. Salvatore'," I whisper, nuzzling her neck before pulling back and pressing my lips firmly to hers. Seeing her yawn, I roll onto my back, pull her into my side then close my eyes, drifting off to sleep with my loves in my arms.

* * *

"Damon, what a lovely surprise," Amanda says when she opens her front door to find me standing there. Looking around to either side and behind me, she asks, "Elena didn't come?"

"No, she wasn't feeling very well so she stayed home. And how are you? I bet you're anxious for it to be over with?" I tease, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Not feeling well, is there a story there? she asks, quirking an eyebrow.

"There is. We're going to have a baby," I admit, blushing slightly.

"Come here," she demands, giving me a hug. "And yes, I'm ready for this baby to come and I'm really excited for you both. How far along is she?"

"I should've guessed because she was having some symptoms. Tender breasts, sick to her stomach but naïve little me, never put two and two together. She practically had to spell it out for me," I add, laughing at myself.

"You're a man, Damon!" she scoffs.

"Damon," I look up when I hear my name.

"Hi Jaime. How's my little man?"

"Good."

"Are you being good to Kelsie?"

"Yup," he says, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the foyer and into their living room.

"Hi Damon," Kelsie squeaks when she sees me.

"Hi little girl." Stooping down to her level, I pick up some of her doll clothes. "I see you're playing with the dolly I gave you."

"She's my favorite."

"I'm glad. Is your daddy home?"

"He's in his office." Although she doesn't move her eyes from her dolls, she points towards the hallway.

Standing up, I ruffle her hair. "I need to talk to him."

"Can you stay for supper, Damon?" Amanda asks.

"I really should get back to Elena but thanks anyway."

"No worries. I understand." Smiling, she walks out the room. When I get to his office, the door is closed. Raising my hand, I rap on it softly.

"Come in," he bellows, sounding a bit frustrated.

"Chris? Everything okay?"

"Damon! No, I'm fine, it's just a case I'm working on. What brings you here?" he asks, standing up to give me a one fisted guy hug.

"I have something to ask you."

"Ask away."

"Will you be my best man at my wedding?" Seemingly stunned, his mouth drops open for a moment.

"Are you sure, I mean, what about your brother?"

"Stefan and I are in a good place, Chris, but I want you to be my best man. You're my best friend. I don't know where I'd be without your love and guidance over the years. I mean, you owed me nothing after I showed up in your precinct. You could've sent me to child services that day but you didn't. You took me home with you and made me part of your family. I can never thank you enough for that. Please do me this honor?"

"If that's what you really want, I'd be honored," he replies.

"That's a relief," I exhale dramatically. I have one other bit of news."

"What's that?"

Looking down at my lap for a moment, a big smile forms on my face when I look up at him. "Elena is pregnant."

"Wow, that is big news. Congratulations Damon," he replies, pulling me into another hug. "You're okay with it?"

"Yeah, I'm really okay with it."

* * *

When another contraction hits, Elena curls her body with what little strength she has left. "Push, push, Elena. Just a little bit more." Sitting behind her to support her back, I press a kiss to her sweat drenched hair. Finally it wanes allowing her just a moment's rest.

"The head is out, Elena. One more push and you'll meet your baby," Dr. Fell encourages.

As I watch another contraction begin its ascent on the monitor, she squeezes my hand so hard, I think I may need an x-ray after this is done. Shaking it out, I kiss her temple, while encouraging her to push as hard as she can.

"This is it sweetheart," I tell her, offering her my hand again. Once more she curls her body in on itself as much as she can. "That's it baby, push." It takes everything in me to bite back the groan as she grips my hand as hard as she can.

"It's a boy," Dr. Fell announces. After cleaning out his airway, she lays him on Elena's heaving chest. Overcome with tears, I drop my forehead onto her shoulder as I try to compose myself. After a moment or maybe two, I tell her thank you and I love you, over and over again, while petting my baby's downy mop of black hair. The nurses give us a few minutes with him before taking him to be weighed, measured and an ID bracelet placed on him to match the ones they snapped onto both Elena and myself. Elena dozes off as soon as we get back to her room. After telling my family that we have a boy, they go home for awhile to let Elena rest but they're going to come back in a little while so they can see and hold him.

An hour or so later, a nurse brings my baby, staying to help Elena nurse for the first time. I can't help the smile that breaks out on my lips when I hear the suckling noise he's making as his little hands press into her breast. When he's done, she helps him burp then lays him on her lap. Hearing a rap on the door, I invite our families in so they can have their first look at him.

"I've barely had a chance to hold him myself," I say to my mom when she extends her arms. Cuddling him close, she sways her arms while cooing at him. By the time they're done passing him around, he's getting a little fussy.

"You didn't tell us what his name is," Caroline remarks, handing him back to me when he starts to cry.

When I caress his mop of dark hair, he opens his beautiful blue eyes for a millisecond before squeezing them tightly when his crying intensifies. I snuggle him against my chest, petting him gently. "Sssh, it's alright," I whisper, swaying gently with him in my arms. We named him after the three most important men in my life," I explain.

I turn to look at Elena for a moment. When she nods, I turn back to my family. "I'd like you all to meet our son, Andrew Joseph Christopher Salvatore."

* * *

"Keep your eye on the ball, Andy," I yell from the dugout. It's his turn at the plate. He's already two strikes down. The pitcher grooves another into him but this time he makes contact with the ball, hitting it into the outfield. Dropping the bat, he quickly touches first base then, continuing onto second where he stops. I hear a bunch of wolf whistles from the crowd. I turn to see Elena and our daughter at the fence. She mouths that she's taking Maddy to the bathroom. Andy is eight and Madison just turned two. Having just learned to go potty, she's so proud of herself that she runs into the bathroom quite often to show us her newfound skill. Shaking my head, I start clapping when Charlie steps into the batter's box as he takes a couple of practice swings.

When I look over towards the women's bathroom, I see Elena walking towards it but I don't see Maddy. She must've run ahead. Chill bumps erupt when I see a strange woman walking into the bathroom. Elena, eight months into our third pregnancy waddles along but she's nearly at the bathroom's entrance. Although my nightmares are almost non existent at this point in my life, sometimes I have moments of deja vu. I still take medication for my PTSD. Elijah has weaned me down to a very low dose now.

When Ric's son Charlie steps to the plate, I start clapping and yelling. "Come on, Charlie, watch the ball, buddy." Charlie takes a swing at the ball, knocking it into the outfield. Andy takes off, crossing the plate just as Charlie rounds on third. Running to home plate, I high five my son and Charlie too for hitting a homerun.

Walking back to the dugout, I turn my eyes towards the bathroom again. I exhale and visibly relax when I see Elena and Maddy walking out, hand in hand. Elena smiles at me knowingly.

I nod at her then turn my attention back to the ballgame.

The final score is ten to eight. My kids won their second game this season. Ric helps me pick up our balls and bats then load them in my trunk. "Thanks Ric," I tell him just as Charlie and Andy walk up to the car carrying the last of our equipment.

"I'll see you at practice tomorrow," Ric mentions then pulls out his keys, jumping into his car.

"Bye coach," Charlie says, pulling open the passenger door on their car.

"Great game, Charlie." After waving goodbye to them, I slam my trunk shut, just as they pull out of the parking lot and drive away.

"Let's go meet mom and Maddy. They're at the ice cream shack," I tell my son. Nodding animatedly, he starts to run towards the ice cream shack that's not far from the parking lot. Maddy is covered in vanilla ice cream by the time I get there.

"Daddy," she squeals, raising her arms for me to pick her up.

"Oh no, I'm not holding you till we wash your hands and face. Come on," I tell her, my hand nudging her back as we walk towards the bathroom. I take her into the men's room with me. Although he grabbed me when I came out of the lady's room, both the men's and the lady's room are part of the same structure. On that fateful day, he covered my mouth with one hand and lifted me with the other, running quickly till he dumped me in the backseat of his car where she was waiting for us. I shudder a little till my reverie is broken when I hear my name.

"Daddy?" she asks, pulling on the hem of my tee shirt.

"What is it baby?" I ask, stooping down to her level.

"Go potty," she says, holding her legs together.

Smiling, I lift her up and carry her into one of the stalls. I use the liner to cover the seat, lifting her after she pulls down her disposable underwear. She still has an accident once in awhile. After we're done, we go back outside. I smile when I see my very pregnant wife pushing Andy on the swing. I lift Maddy into my arms and put her in the toddler swing that's beside Andy and push her. Standing back, I pull Elena out of the way. I pull her next to my chest, placing my hand on her bump. When I feel a flutter, I smile widely. Leaning over, I press a kiss to that spot.

"Can you believe it Elena?"

"Believe what?"

"I never dreamed that any of this would ever happen for me. I was so broken when I came back. My family never gave up on me and most importantly, you never gave up on me. I'll never be able to thank you for this life, Elena. I love you so much." I whisper, pulling her into a scorching kiss.

We pull apart when we hear our kids snickering. "Daddy's kissing mamma," Maddy squeals. Andy has his nose scrunched up.

"Oh don't give me that look young man. Someday, you'll kiss your girl the same way," I tease, pulling Elena close and pressing another kiss to her lips. I can't help but laugh when he rolls his eyes and turns away. When I look at the sky, the sun is beginning to set.

"Alright, time to go home." I lift Maddy out of her swing, perching her on one hip. Elena takes Andy's hand, offering her other hand to me. Taking it, I pull it up to my lips and press a kiss to that spot just below her thumb. When she shows me one of her megawatt smiles, I feel ten feet high as we walk back to our car, hand in hand. Raising my eyes skyward, I smile and nod realizing that I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth...

 _I see trees of green, red roses, too_

 _I see them bloom, for me and you_

 _And I think to myself_

 _What a wonderful world_

 _I see skies of blue and clouds of white,_

 _The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night_

 _And I think to myself_

 _What a wonderful world_

 _The End..._

* * *

 _Sobs. I don't want this to be over. Thank you so much Eva for your love and support and guidance and friendship. I want to thank Kate again for the lovely covers that I used as this story unfolded. I love both of you. Thank you so much, all of you for getting behind me and supporting this and all of my other stories. I appreciate you all more than you know. Again, thank you for being so patient waiting for the 'M' rated scenes. Not once did I get a review asking where they were or why this was rated 'M'._

 _Please remember to review. I love to hear your thoughts on my stories. And I can't thank you all enough for putting this over the 300 review mark._

 _Chapter title: 'What a Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong_

 _I did just update 'Tears in Heaven'. 'Rainy Days and Mondays', and 'The Unforgiven' will be updating over the next couple of days. Please give those a look._

 _"Reviews are Love*_

 _As always, have a safe and wonderful weekend. Just as I'm about to turn the lights off, I want to once again thank you all for making this story such a success. Carol_


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